City of Golden Historic Preservation Plan
DECEMBER 2018
PREPARED BY PREPARED FOR SWCA Environmental Consultants City of Golden
CITY OF GOLDEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN
Prepared for City of Golden 1455 10th Street Golden, Colorado 80401
Prepared by
SWCA Environmental Consultants 257 East 200 South, Suite 200 Salt Lake City, Utah 84111 (801) 322-4307 www.swca.com
SWCA Project No. 43984
SWCA Cultural Resources Report No. 18-769
December 2018
City of Golden Historic Preservation Plan
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of the City of Golden’s historic preservation planning process is to develop a vision, goals, and priorities for the preservation of Golden’s historic and cultural resources. That process centers around working with the community to identify key historic resources, resource types, and preservation actions that would benefit both the resources and the community. This historic preservation plan was developed in support of the process; its goals were as follows: • Identify those important stories that reflect Golden’s history and culture • Identify ways to improve the interpretation, understanding, and enjoyment of Golden’s stories • Identify the sites and resources that are part of telling those stories, irrespective of their age • Establish stronger relationships between the many entities in and around Golden that promote understanding and the preservation of Golden’s history
The Golden Historic Preservation Board (HPB) selected 11 themes (or combinations of several themes) for incorporation into the preservation plan. Two meetings were then convened to gather public input, the first for groups and organizations that promote the understanding and preservation of history in and around Golden and the second for the general public. The meetings had three purposes: 1) to solicit feedback about the 11 themes and historic resources associated with them; 2) to brainstorm ways to collaborate on the interpretation and promotion of the themes in ways that strengthened ties between the city and area history organizations; and 3) to identify interesting and creative ways for the public to learn about, experience, and preserve Golden’s history.
Although more input is required, results indicate public interest in the following five themes: • Industry, Engineering, and Invention • Entertainment, Recreation, Landscape Architecture, and Conservation • Archaeology, Paleontology, and Geology • Exploration and Settlement • Politics and Government
From a historical perspective, the themes that are most unique to Golden are as follows: • Archaeology, Paleontology, and Geology • Education • Entertainment, Recreation, Landscape Architecture, and Conservation • Exploration and Settlement • Industry, Engineering, and Invention
These two lists correlate well, and the City of Golden’s preservation efforts resulting from this plan should be directed toward one or more of the above themes. To ensure that these efforts are inclusive, addressing the theme of Social History is also recommended in the future, particularly as it relates to the experiences of minority and underrepresented communities in Golden. All the themes are reasonably well-represented in existing lists of historic resources, particularly Industry, Engineering, and Invention and Entertainment, Recreation, Landscape Architecture, and Conservation. To ensure that preservation
i City of Golden Historic Preservation Plan efforts acknowledge the temporal scope of many themes, however, any future research, survey, and interpretation efforts should incorporate the city’s post–World War II history when appropriate.
The preservation plan offers a basis for understanding, appreciating, and experiencing the diverse threads of Golden’s history by the public, and for managing and protecting related resources by the city and the HPB. The plan is also intended to serve as a platform from which to begin efforts to increase the preservation of resources related to multiple themes in Golden’s history. Each of the 11 contexts concludes with specific recommendations for identification, evaluation, registration, and treatment of historic resources (an action that includes education and interpretation) that will improve the understanding and enjoyment of Golden’s stories; these are summarized in Table E1. The following more generalized recommendations, listed in order of priority, apply to all future preservation efforts regardless of which contexts are pursued. 1. If desired, conduct additional public outreach through meetings, online polls, or other strategies to achieve greater consensus about which contexts are of most immediate interest to the community. Outreach efforts should target a wide demographic that includes people of all ages and backgrounds. 2. Conduct a professional survey of resources related to one or more contexts to ensure clear and comprehensive inventory. Resources may include buildings, structures, objects, sites, and historic districts or cultural landscapes. A preliminary list of known properties, their associated theme(s), and historic designation or survey status is provided in Appendix A. 3. Conduct a professional evaluation of the resources identified during the survey to determine which are historically significant and important in illustrating one or more themes. 4. Recognize the importance of these resources by listing them on a historic register at the local, state, and/or national level. The type of designation (whether an individual listing, historic district, or an umbrella-type multiple property submission) will depend on the density and spatial distribution of the resources. 5. Design treatments that promote preservation and public awareness. The selection of a treatment will vary depending on the type, quantity, and geographic location of resources identified during survey. In order of importance and public preference, treatments fall under the broad categories of resource management, informational materials, tours and activities, and events. a. Resource management includes actions such as listing important resources on registers, ensuring that preservation goals are supported consistently through the land management code and zoning ordinances, and that comprehensive or master plans for neighborhoods and the city are also aligned with preservation. b. Informational materials range in scope from newspaper columns or articles to a history blog, traditional hallway displays in historic buildings, interpretive signage, and pamphlets for walking, cycling, or driving tours. As a first step, the simplest and most accessible method of providing historical information may be through an existing or new website. c. Tours and activities include self-guided or hosted walking, cycling, or driving tours, as well as regularly scheduled activities such as History (or Prehistory) Day competitions at local schools and “locals free” days at area museums and attractions. d. Events can be widely varied and include everything from historically themed pub crawls or dine-arounds to festivals and athletic competitions.
Establishing stronger relationships with the many entities that promote the understanding and preservation of the city’s history was a goal for the preservation plan. As treatments are designed for
ii City of Golden Historic Preservation Plan theme-related historic resources, opportunities to collaborate will arise. Partners may vary depending on the themes addressed or treatments selected but will likely include Golden History Museum and Park, Jefferson County Historical Society, Colorado School of Mines, Denver Mountain Parks, and Dinosaur Ridge.
Table E1. Historic Themes in Golden and Recommendations for Their Preservation, Interpretation, and Enjoyment
Theme Recommendations
Agriculture Supplement the context by conducting further research on ranching and the Granger movement in Golden
Identify historically significant examples of agricultural property types within Golden through further survey
Designate significant buildings and structures on the local level or nominate them to the NRHP
Increase public awareness of agricultural history and resources in and around Golden through methods such as: • Posting informational signs by resources, particularly irrigation ditches, the history and importance of which is not always self-evident • Preparing articles or written materials on agricultural history to post on public websites • Organizing history day competitions for schools • Creating exhibits on agriculture developed in cooperation with area museums or history organizations
Collaborate with Jefferson County Open Space to protect historic agricultural sites and structures outside city limits
Archaeology, Supplement the context by conducting further research on the history of archaeology and Paleontology, and Geology paleontology in and around Golden and the people associated with these fields
Designate any significant sites or districts in Golden on the local level or nominate them to the NRHP
Increase public awareness of archaeology and paleontology in Golden through methods such as: • Cooperating with local museums such as the Golden History Museum and Park and Dinosaur Ridge to host “locals free” days • Partnering with local groups, such as Native American tribes or the Colorado School of Mines, to develop educational material for schools or the public • Presenting information in articles or publications that may be posted on public websites • Sponsoring a “prehistory day” competition for schools
Collaborate with Jefferson County Open Space to protect archaeological and paleontological sites outside city limits
Commerce Supplement the context by conducting further research on commerce and commercial properties in Golden, particularly on the following topics: • Early commercial enterprises (such as the Boston Company) • Post–World War II construction • Alterations and additions made to commercial properties in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries • Key individuals in the more recent history of commerce in Golden
Identify significant commercial properties through further survey
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Theme Recommendations
Designate significant properties on the local level or nominate them to the NRHP as buildings and/or districts, particularly a downtown commercial district
Increase public awareness of commerce in Golden through methods such as the following: • Increasing the number of designed walking tours, possibly incorporating specific themes (such as historic pub crawl routes) into new tours • Installing interpretive signs in commercial areas, which might include historic photographs, facts about what once existed, or information about standing buildings and structures
Community Planning and Supplement the context by conducting further research, particularly on recently developed Development neighborhoods such as those built after World War II
Identify significant examples of post–World War II development and architecture, particularly within planned communities, through further survey
Also through further survey, identify significant residential resources outside of the present historic districts from other parts of the historic period
Designate significant properties on the local level or nominate them to the NRHP as buildings and/or districts, particularly post-World War II neighborhoods (which are currently unrepresented on local, state, or national registers and which are now of historic age and may be eligible)
Increase public awareness of community planning and development in Golden by preparing informative articles and publications based on research and survey results, and incorporating new information in the existing historic city tour guide
Increase public awareness of community planning and development in Golden by increased involvement of the HPB with the City of Golden and the Golden History Museum
Education Supplement the story of education in and around Golden by conducting further research on private educational institutions
Designate significant buildings and districts on the local level or nominate them to the NRHP
Increase public awareness of historic education-related properties through methods such as the following: • Creating a printable walking tour for the Colorado School of Mines • Developing educational programming or hallway displays in cooperation with local schools
Entertainment and Supplement the context through: Recreation, Landscape Architecture, and • Further research on annual events and community traditions in Golden Conservation • Further research on the history of conservation and land management in and around Golden
Identify historically significant examples of entertainment and recreation, landscape architecture, and conservation property types through further survey
Designate significant properties on the local level or nominate them to the NRHP as buildings or districts. Collaborate with other organizations for landscape-level districts that extend beyond municipal boundaries.
Increase public outreach and education through the creation of new festivals or events at historic recreation and entertainment sites, tabling at existing public events, or offering historic tours at popular recreation destinations such as South Table Mountain
Collaborate with Jefferson County Open Space to protect historic entertainment, recreation, landscape architecture, and conservation sites and structures outside city limits
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Theme Recommendations
Exploration and Settlement Supplement the context through further research on: • Early agriculture • Early gold mining practices • Early trading and commerce • Native American history in the region • The relationships and interactions between early Euro-American miners and settlers and Native American tribes
Identify historically significant examples of exploration and settlement-related properties through further surveys
Designate significant properties on the local level or nominate them to the NRHP as buildings and sites or as a thematically related, non-contiguous historic district through a multiple property submission
Increase public awareness of the exploration and settlement era through methods such as: • Posting informational signs by settlement-era resources • Preparing articles or other written materials to post on public websites • Creating interactive public tours or self-guided walking tours focusing on settlement-era sites and buildings throughout the city • Hosting history day competitions for schools
Collaborate with Jefferson County Open Space to protect exploration- and settlement-related sites and structures outside city limits
Industry, Engineering, and Supplement the context by conducting further research on topics such as: Invention • Ethnic enclaves such as Goosetown and the histories of their residents • Local quarries and mines and the mining methods used
Identify historically significant industry, engineering, and invention-related resources through further survey
Designate significant buildings, sites, objects, and districts on the local level or nominate them to the NRHP. Because of the dispersed nature of industrial operations and the diversity of industrial enterprises, designation may best occur through multiple property submissions.
Increase interpretive and public outreach work through: • Cooperative tours with the Coors Brewery • Free tours of the Colorado School of Mines • Educational tours for school groups at the Colorado School of Mines’ museum
Politics and Government Supplement the context through further research on: • Depression-era WPA projects • The history of the courthouse and the Colorado National Guard Armory
Identify historically significant examples of politics and government-related properties through further survey
Designate significant properties on the local level or nominate them to the NRHP. Because of the dispersed nature of these resources, designation may best occur through a multiple property submission.
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Theme Recommendations
Increase public awareness of the history of politics and government in Golden through methods such as: • Tours and field trips for local schools to important government buildings and structures • Informational signs by resources • Interactive public tours • Educational hallway displays in cooperation with building owners
Social History Supplement the context through further research on: • Fraternal and sororal organizations • Immigrant and minority populations and their histories within the city • The religious history of Golden • The civil rights–era history of Golden
Identify historically significant examples of social history-related properties through further survey
Designate significant buildings and districts on the local level or nominate them to the NRHP. Because of the dispersed nature of some resources, this may be approached through a multiple property submission.
Increase public awareness of social history through methods such as: • Working with local fraternal organizations to create tours of historic buildings and produce informational materials about the histories of the organizations • Hosting history day competitions for schools that emphasize understudied aspects of Golden’s history, such as minority populations, immigrant experiences, and social movements
Transportation Supplement the context through further research on: • The tram system within Golden • Early roads and transportation systems • Networks of transportation • Railroads and railroad-related resources
Identify historically significant examples of transportation-related properties through further surveys
Designate significant buildings and districts on the local level or nominate them to the NRHP
Increasing public awareness of transportation history through methods such as: • Designing driving tours of Golden and nearby areas • Preparing articles or publications on transportation history to post on public websites, with an emphasis on photographic and graphic materials • Partnering with organizations dedicated to preserving important resources such as the Lariat Loop to increase awareness and visitation
Collaborate with Jefferson County Open Space to protect historic transportation sites and structures outside city limits
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
SWCA would like to acknowledge the contributions and insights of many individuals and organizations who assisted in the development of the Golden Historic Preservation Plan.
City of Golden Historic Preservation Board
Jerry Fortune Emma Garrison Jeremy Hakes, Chairperson Peter Luptovic Ken Miller Matt Murphy Diane Sauter James Smith Suzanne Stutzman Kristen Wrona
City of Golden Staff
Nick Eagleson, Planner
Golden City Council Members
Saoirse Charis-Graves Casey Brown Robert Reed Paul Haseman Jim Dale Laura Weinberg
Mayor
Marjorie Sloan
And special thanks to the residents of Golden and members of area organizations who participated in the public meetings.
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CONTENTS
Executive Summary ...... i Acknowledgments ...... vii Introduction: A Golden Legacy ...... 1 What is Historic Preservation? ...... 1 What is Preservation Planning? ...... 2 Standard I ...... 2 Standard II ...... 2 Standard III ...... 2 Historic Resource Protection in Golden ...... 3 Development of the Golden Historic Preservation Plan ...... 3 Background ...... 3 Goals and Plan Content ...... 4 Planning Process ...... 4 Historic Themes and Contexts ...... 6 Introduction ...... 6 History of Golden ...... 6 Historic Contexts ...... 8 Agriculture in Golden, 1859–1968 ...... 10 Archaeology, Paleontology, and Geology in Golden, 12,000 B.P.–Present ...... 15 Commerce in Golden, 1859–1968 ...... 20 Community Planning and Development in Golden, 1859–1968 ...... 23 Education in Golden, 1859–1968 ...... 27 Entertainment and Recreation, Landscape Architecture, and Conservation in and around Golden, 1859–1968 ...... 31 Exploration and Settlement in Golden, 1859–ca. 1870 ...... 35 Industry, Engineering, and Invention in Golden, 1859–1968 ...... 40 Politics and Government in Golden, 1859–1968 ...... 45 Social History in Golden, 1859–1968 ...... 48 Transportation in Golden, 1859–1968 ...... 53 Public Involvement and Engagement ...... 57 Public Meetings ...... 57 Public Meeting 1: Organizational Outreach ...... 57 Public Meeting 2: Public Outreach ...... 58 Public Meeting Results ...... 59 Public Meeting 1 ...... 59 Public Meeting 2 ...... 59 Conclusions and Recommendations ...... 62 Prioritized Recommendations ...... 63 Collaboration ...... 64 Integration in the Broader Planning Process ...... 64 References Cited ...... 66
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Appendices
Appendix A. Preliminary List of Historic Properties in Golden and their Associated Themes and Historic Designation or Survey Status Appendix B. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Preservation Planning Appendix C. Golden Historic Preservation Plan, Public Meeting 2: Questionnaire
Figures
Figure 1. Washington Avenue, 1950. Courtesy Golden History Museum, City of Golden Collection...... 1 Figure 2. Map of the boundaries of the City of Golden, Colorado...... 5 Figure 3. Carnival in Golden, 1940. Courtesy Golden History Museum, City of Golden Collection...... 6 Figure 4. Coors Can Manufacturing Plant. Courtesy Golden History Museum, City of Golden Collection...... 8 Figure 5. Jim Mannon with First Tractor, ca. 1920s. Courtesy Golden History Museum, City of Golden Collection...... 10 Figure 6. Cast of T-rex tooth found on South Table Mountain in 1874 by Jarvis Hall student Peter T. Dotson under the auspices of Arthur Lakes. Photograph taken 2016. Courtesy Golden History Museum, City of Golden Collection...... 15 Figure 7. Linder Block, November 1958. Courtesy Golden History Museum, City of Golden Collection...... 20 Figure 8. Boston Company building, ca. 1859. Courtesy Colorado Historical Society...... 23 Figure 9. Postcard: School of Mines, Golden, Colorado, ca. 1891. Courtesy Golden History Museum, City of Golden Collection...... 27 Figure 10. Lookout Mountain Park Funicular, 1912. Courtesy Golden History Museum Bathke Collection, City of Golden...... 31 Figure 11. Original Wannemaker Cabin with family, 1859. Courtesy Golden History Museum Bathke Collection, City of Golden...... 35 Figure 12. Adolph Coors Brewery, 1890. Courtesy Golden History Museum, City of Golden Collection...... 40 Figure 13. Jefferson County Courthouse, 1895. Courtesy Golden History Museum, City of Golden Collection...... 45 Figure 14. Cornerstone Day Parade on Washington Avenue with Masons visible, 1913. Courtesy Golden History Museum, City of Golden Collection...... 48 Figure 15. Denver and Intermountain Railroad Cars in Golden, 1943. Courtesy Golden History Museum, City of Golden Collection...... 53 Figure 16. Washington Avenue, 1979. Courtesy Golden History Museum, City of Golden Collection...... 57 Figure 17. Washington Avenue and the Welcome Arch, 2018...... 62
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Tables
Table E1. Historic Themes in Golden and Recommendations for Their Preservation, Interpretation, and Enjoyment ...... iii Table 1. Properties and Potential Property Types Associated with Agriculture ...... 13 Table 2. Archaeological Site Types from the Archaic Stage, by Geographic Land Form ...... 16 Table 3. Properties and Potential Property Types Associated with Archaeology, Paleontology, and Geology ...... 18 Table 4. Properties and Potential Property Types Associated with Commerce ...... 22 Table 5. Properties and Potential Property Types Associated with Community Planning and Development ...... 25 Table 6. Properties and Potential Property Types Associated with Education ...... 29 Table 7. Properties and Potential Property Types Associated with Entertainment and Recreation, Landscape Architecture, and Conservation ...... 33 Table 8. Properties and Potential Property Types Associated with Exploration and Settlement ...... 38 Table 9. Properties and Potential Property Types Associated with Industry, Engineering, and Invention ...... 43 Table 10. Properties and Potential Property Types Associated with Politics and Government ...... 47 Table 11. Golden Population, 1860 to 2010 ...... 49 Table 12. Properties and Potential Property Types Associated with Social History ...... 51 Table 13. Properties and Potential Property Types Associated with Transportation ...... 55 Table 14. Results of Public Input on the Most Interesting Themes in Golden’s History ...... 59 Table 15. Public Input on the Best Ways of Learning About and Experiencing Golden’s History ...... 60
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Figure 1. Washington Avenue, 1950. Courtesy Golden History Museum, City of Golden Collection.
INTRODUCTION: A GOLDEN LEGACY
A historic mining town. The home of the Coors Brewery. A vibrant community abounding with recreational opportunities, cultural activities, and local charm. Golden, Colorado, is a gem perched on the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains (Figures 1 and 2). Culturally and economically connected with Denver, Lakewood, and other surrounding communities but distinct from each, Golden’s built environment reflects its unique and significant history. This historic preservation plan offers strategies for preserving the city’s cultural resources and landscapes and for helping its residents and visitors connect with the community’s history.
What is Historic Preservation?
The National Park Service (NPS), which sets nationwide standards for preservation practice, defines historic preservation and its importance in the following way: Historic preservation is a conversation with our past about our future. It provides us with opportunities to ask, “What is important in our history?” and “What parts of our past can we preserve for the future?” Through historic preservation, we look at history in different ways, ask different questions of the past, and learn new things about our history and ourselves. Historic preservation is an important way for us to transmit our understanding of the past to future generations. (NPS 2017)
Historic preservation encompasses a range of ways to conserve the physical history of a place and to engage with that history. These methods can include historic research; physical building or site conservation; nominating resources to local, state, or national registers of historic places; offering tax
1 City of Golden Historic Preservation Plan credits for preservation projects; inventorying resources through surveys; creating and implementing local preservation ordinances; or public education.
What is Preservation Planning?
Preservation planning is a critical aspect of historic preservation. It is “a process that organizes preservation activities (identification, evaluation, registration and treatment of historic properties) in a logical sequence” (NPS 2001). The NPS provides guidance in the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Preservation Planning, which outlines a process that determines “when an area should be examined for historic properties, whether an identified property is significant, and how a significant property should be treated” (NPS 2001). There are three standards: Standard I
PRESERVATION PLANNING ESTABLISHES HISTORIC CONTEXTS
The relationships between individual properties need to be emphasized when the properties are identified, evaluated, registered, and treated. To do this, background research needs to be done on properties to contextualize them and identify key historic themes; a context should be created for each relevant theme. The historic contexts are intended to organize information on the themes and broad patterns of development in that geographic area. These contexts serve as the foundation for future planning decisions (NPS 2001). Standard II
PRESERVATION PLANNING USES HISTORIC CONTEXTS TO DEVELOP GOALS AND PRIORITIES FOR THE IDENTIFICATION, EVALUATION, REGISTRATION, AND TREATMENT OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES
Using the context(s) developed under Standard I, goals for preservation and planning are then developed. Preservation goals should meet the needs of a range of properties. Each context for a given theme should have separate goals assigned, which should then be integrated to create an overall set of goals and priorities for the geographic area undergoing planning. “Activities undertaken to meet the goals must be designed to deliver a usable product within a reasonable period of time. The scope of the activity must be defined so the work can be completed with available budgeted program resources” (NPS 2001). Standard III
THE RESULTS OF PRESERVATION PLANNING ARE MADE AVAILABLE FOR INTEGRATION INTO BROADER PLANNING PROCESSES
The results of Standard II are only one part of a larger planning process. They should be integrated with information about historic properties, planning documents, and planning results. Integration should occur early in the process. The results of preservation planning should be made available to other governmental agencies and private stakeholders (NPS 2001).
To provide more specific guidance and technical information, the NPS has also developed the Secretary of the Interior’s Guidelines for Preservation Planning (NPS 2001). The guidelines are organized under five major headings that are intended to be followed sequentially. These headings are as follows:
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1. Managing the Planning Process
2. Developing Historic Contexts
3. Developing Goals for a Historic Context
4. Integrating Individual Historic Contexts—Creating the Preservation Plan
5. Coordinating with Management Frameworks
This preservation plan incorporates aspects of Standards I and II and Guidelines 2 through 4. See Appendix B for a copy of the complete standards and guidelines.
Historic Resource Protection in Golden
The City of Golden already employs a number of historic preservation strategies at the local level. Historic preservation has long been recognized in the city’s municipal code: the first preservation ordinance was established in 1983 and most recently updated in 2013 (History Colorado 2018a). Golden is also a Certified Local Government (certified in 1991), meaning that it has met standards to participate in state and national preservation programs, such as grant programs. As a part of preservation efforts on the local government level, Golden has implemented Historic District Residential Design Guidelines and has a Historic Preservation Board dedicated to encouraging preservation and reviewing proposed alterations to historic properties in the city. Golden has three designated local historic districts: the 12th Street Historic District, the East Street Historic District, and the 8th and 9th Street Historic District. Of these, the 12th Street Historic District is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) (Shuck 1982).
Additionally, in 2017, the City of Golden published a comprehensive plan. This plan included general goals and strategies for city planning, as well as themes outlining the most important values of the community, neighborhood planning approaches, a discussion of community planning, and ways of gauging the success of the plan itself (City of Golden 2017). Some of the strategies outlined in the comprehensive plan are also relevant to historic preservation and will be further discussed at the conclusion of this report. The goals of the preservation plan should ultimately be integrated with the goals of the comprehensive plan, as per National Park Service guidelines (NPS 2001).
Development of the Golden Historic Preservation Plan Background
In 2017, the City of Golden identified the need for a historic preservation plan. The plan was intended to support Golden’s historic preservation planning process, the purpose of which is to develop a vision, goals, and priorities for the preservation of Golden’s historic and cultural resources. The process of developing the vision and goals centered around working with the community to identify key historic resources, resource types, and preservation actions that would benefit both the resources and the community.
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Goals and Plan Content
As defined by the City and the City of Golden Historic Preservation Board (HPB), the goals of the historic preservation plan are to: • Identify those important stories that reflect Golden’s history and culture. • Identify ways to improve the interpretation, understanding, and enjoyment of Golden’s stories. • Identify the sites and resources that are part of telling those stories, irrespective of their age. • Establish stronger relationships between the many entities in and around Golden that promote understanding and the preservation of Golden’s history.
Development of the plan content focused on three major actions. The first was developing summary historic contexts for important historic and cultural themes in Golden’s history. The second was soliciting public input about the themes and ways to promote them. And the third was developing recommendations for future actions that would help the city achieve the goals stated above. Planning Process
The planning process was directed by the HPB and the city planning staff that supports the board. It began with a kickoff meeting held on Wednesday, February 7, 2018, between city staff, the HPB, and SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA). The vision, goals, and priorities for the historic preservation plan were discussed, as were 28 potential themes for study that were selected from a list prepared by the NPS for the nomination of historic resources to the NRHP. HPB members were asked to rank the themes in order of interest and/or importance in Golden’s history. Based the results, 11 themes (or combinations of several themes) were selected for incorporation into the preservation plan.
SWCA then began developing historic contexts for the 11 themes. Maximum use was made of available information about Golden’s known historic and cultural resources, including written histories, Golden’s Timeline, NRHP nomination forms, and the archival records available at the Golden History Museum.
As the contexts were being developed, two public input sessions were convened. Groups and organizations that promote the understanding and preservation of history in and around Golden were invited to the first meeting, and the general public was invited to the second meeting. The purpose of the meetings was threefold: 1) to solicit feedback about the 11 themes and historic resources associated with them; 2) to brainstorm ways to collaborate on the interpretation and promotion of the themes in ways that strengthened ties between the city and area history organizations; and 3) to identify interesting and creative ways for the public to learn about, experience, and preserve Golden’s history.
This historic preservation plan presents historic contexts for the 11 themes important in Golden’s history and the results of the public meetings. The information was then used to develop recommendations for future actions that will promote history in the city in ways that are interesting and engaging to the public and that also serve to preserve Golden’s rich historic legacy. The plan differs significantly from other municipal preservation plans, which often focus on governmental strategies for preservation, such as local ordinances, design guidelines, and demolition review. Instead, this preservation plan offers a basis for understanding, appreciating, and experiencing the diverse threads of Golden’s history by the public, and for managing and protecting significant historic resources by the city and the HPB.
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Figure 2. Map of the boundaries of the City of Golden, Colorado.
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Figure 3. Carnival in Golden, 1940. Courtesy Golden History Museum, City of Golden Collection.
HISTORIC THEMES AND CONTEXTS
Introduction
Golden, Colorado, occupies a distinct geographic location within Colorado (see Figure 2). Located in the eastern foothills of the Rockies, Golden is in a transitional zone between the Great Plains to the east and the mountains to the west. Golden is also in close proximity to Denver (12.5 miles to the east) and was historically closely tied to the city in terms of commerce and transportation. The land to the west of Golden is primarily undeveloped open space. Although the mountainous terrain played a role in keeping the land undeveloped, agreements (such as the Denver Mountain Parks agreement) formally mandate the conservation of that open, undeveloped space and represent an important limitation on Golden’s growth to the west for much of its history.
History of Golden
The area around Golden has been a site of human activity for thousands of years. During the prehistoric period, the region was used for hunting, crafting, and habitation; this activity ranged chronologically from the Clovis period (12,000 B.P.) to the protohistoric period (410 B.P./A.D. 1540). During the protohistoric period, various cultural groups occupied the region, including the Kiowa, Ute, Apache, Comanche, Arapaho, and Cheyenne. The first contact between members of these cultural groups and Europeans (Spanish explorers) occurred in 1540–1541 and increased in the early nineteenth century as Euro- American fur trappers and traders exploited resources in the Golden vicinity (Mehls 2001:14–15).
With the discovery of gold in Colorado by Euro-Americans in 1857–1858, however, the dynamics of the region changed significantly. Whereas Euro-Americans had only entered the region in small numbers
6 City of Golden Historic Preservation Plan previously, huge numbers arrived in the area around Golden with the Colorado Gold Rush and began to settle there permanently. This sometimes resulted in conflict between the Native Americans who had traditionally lived in the region and the Euro-Americans who began to take the land. Around what would become Golden, the majority of the new arrivals were miners hoping to find gold in Clear Creek (Colorado Encyclopedia 2018a).
Other Euro-Americans closely followed the miners to capitalize on the new markets created by the mining industry in the Golden area. The Mechanics Mining & Trading Company (informally known as the Boston Company) established a trading post in 1859 that would form the nucleus of the new community (Golden HPB 2003). That same year, David K. Wall began the first commercial agricultural enterprise in Jefferson County and Colorado as a whole, a commercial garden (City of Golden 2018:10; Wagenbach and Thistlewood 1987:3). The first organizational meeting of the Golden City Town Company was held in June 1859 to discuss the establishment of a formal town (Zupan and Packard 2004:49). By 1860, Golden had 800 residents (Lomond 2009:42).
From the 1860s through approximately 1900, many of Golden’s key institutions were founded, such as schools, churches, and social organizations. Schools from this period included Golden High School (first established in 1860) and the Colorado School of Mines (established in 1874) (City of Golden 2018a; Jenkins 1996). By 1900, seven churches had been built within Golden (Moore 1995). Residents belonged to a wide range of social clubs and fraternal organizations, including the Masons, the Woodmen of the World, the Knights of Pythias, the Ancient Order of Foresters, the Sons of Herman, and the Odd Fellows. Women also participated in social clubs, such as the Fortnightly Club, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, and the Daughters of the American Revolution (City of Golden 2011; Wagenbach and Thistlewood 1987; Zupan and Packard 2004). Partially as a result of these social and religious organizations and their members, Golden’s social history is one of engagement on the part of its citizens who participated in parades, hosted carnivals, and actively worked to preserve the town’s history (Figure 3).
Industries, such as smelting, brickmaking, metal, coal and clay mining, and brewing, provided most of the jobs in the city (Figure 4). Farming and ranching were also key sources of employment. The development of convenient transportation systems helped make the sale of industrial and agricultural products in more distant markets profitable. These systems initially took the form of roads and bridges (often with tolls attached), followed by railroads, and eventually highways and interstates.
As Golden’s economy grew, its size and population also grew. The city underwent a number of plat additions, and satellite communities such as Pleasant View (founded 1908) and Fairmount (founded in the early 1900s) were incorporated just outside city limits in the early twentieth century. These were joined by new subdivisions added within city limits after World War II, such as Goldcrest Heights (City of Golden 2011; Mehls 2001).
Today, Golden has a population of approximately 20,571 individuals. As of 2010, the city encompassed almost 10 square miles, with a population density of 1,901.3 residents per square mile (U.S. Census Bureau 2018). Although it is far-removed from the trading post it began as, Golden remains a vibrant community. Through the efforts of its citizens throughout its history, it is known on the state and national level for many aspects of its history, including the themes of paleontology, geology, education, and industry, engineering, and invention.
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Figure 4. Coors Can Manufacturing Plant. Courtesy Golden History Museum, City of Golden Collection.
Historic Contexts
Eleven themes relating to Golden’s history are explored in this section. These themes are as follows: • Agriculture • Archaeology, Paleontology, and Geology • Commerce • Community Planning and Development • Education • Entertainment, Recreation, Landscape Architecture, and Conservation • Exploration and Settlement • Industry, Engineering, and Invention • Politics and Government • Social History • Transportation
Although the themes are addressed in separate contexts, it is important to note that the present-day cultural landscape of Golden bears the imprint of all the themes, often simultaneously. As a result, the themes should be regarded as intersecting or overlapping threads of history rather than as parallel tracks. A historic building, structure, site, or district may relate to one or more of these themes simultaneously, or to different themes during different periods of its history.
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A review of History Colorado’s Online Cultural Resource Database (COMPASS) system, which houses data about previously surveyed properties in the state, indicates that 768 properties in total have been surveyed within the boundaries of the City of Golden. Of these, 90 are either NRHP-eligible or NRHP- listed properties and comprise buildings, sites, and one historic district. In addition, Golden has two locally designated (but not NRHP-listed) landmarks. The remaining 676 properties were either determined not eligible for the NRHP (meaning they lack historic significance or integrity in the opinion of professional reviewers), required more data for an eligibility recommendation, or had no assessment given on the form.
Non-residential properties in COMPASS that were NRHP-eligible or listed have been included as examples of properties associated with the themes discussed below. These account for 57 of the 90 properties. One property did not have any information available and could not be classified; the other 32 properties were residential properties that are hard to classify without more research, but which generally fall under the themes of Architecture, Exploration and Settlement, or Community Planning and Development. Some of the NRHP-eligible and listed properties have been included as examples of properties associated with the themes discussed below, where relevant. A limited number of residential properties (which were easily classifiable under the themes discussed here) were incorporated into the tables, but the majority were not.
Eight previous historic resources surveys have been conducted in Golden. These surveys were Historic Buildings of Washington Avenue (1989), 1990 Survey of Golden Historic Buildings (1990), 1991 Golden Survey of Historic Buildings (1991), Fifteen Historic Structures Inventory Survey Report (1995), Survey of Historical Architectural Resources in Golden (2001), Neighborhoods on Either Side of Downtown (2001), Golden Reconnaissance Survey (2003), and 2004-05 Historic Buildings Intensive Survey (2004) (personal communication between Nick Eagleson, City of Golden, and Anne Olive, SWCA, December 18, 2018). In all, 636 historic resources were identified during the surveys. Of the 106 resources identified and discussed in Appendix A, 46 were recorded as a part of these eight surveys. With additional research, all 636 of the historic resources identified during the surveys could be tied to the themes presented here.
In addition to examples of associated properties, each theme also includes a list of potential property types. This list was derived from a variety of sources, including public meetings, NRHP nomination forms, COMPASS data, and archival research. These potential property types are organized based on the five categories of historic properties defined by the NPS: buildings, structures, objects, sites, and districts. Please note that in some cases, potential properties may fall under more than one of these categories. An example of this is worker housing (under the theme of Industry, Engineering, and Invention). The house of a worker may be eligible independently as a building, but a concentrated area of worker housing in a neighborhood might also be eligible as a district. Each theme concludes with a list of recommendations for preserving that aspect of Golden’s story and improving its interpretation, understanding, and enjoyment. Most recommendations focus on supplementing the context with further research as needed, identifying historically significant examples of related property types through survey, designating significant buildings and structures, and increasing public awareness of that theme through largely conventional means. The public meetings generated more creative ideas for engagement that apply to all the themes; these are listed in the Public Meeting Results section of this report.
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Figure 5. Jim Mannon with First Tractor, ca. 1920s. Courtesy Golden History Museum, City of Golden Collection.
Agriculture in Golden, 1859–1968
The theme of agriculture relates to the process and technology of cultivating soil, producing crops, and raising livestock and plants. Subthemes include architecture, ethnic heritage, and exploration and settlement.
Although Golden is often thought of as a mining community due to its close association with mining operations in the nearby mountains, agriculture (which includes both farming and ranching) has always been one of its most important industries (Figure 5). Miners required food, which they could not or did not produce themselves in adequate quantities. As a result, a ready market existed for agricultural products, and farming quickly became an important economic activity in its own right. Golden was unique within the state and region for the unusually high amount of commercial agriculture that occurred in the community, particularly during the settlement period (Mehls 2001:35). The history of agriculture in Golden is also discussed in Mehls (2001).
The first commercial agricultural operation in Golden began in 1859. From there, agriculture quickly grew to become the most important industry in Golden (City of Golden 2018a:10).
. . . by 1902 the town was ‘surrounded on all sides by farming and stockraising,’ according to Illustrated Golden. Wheat was a major crop and accounted for the three flour mills. At one time, the Rock Flour Mill produced 200 barrels of flour a day. Orchards and vineyards grew on North Table Mountain, while Clear Creek Valley was filled with fruit trees, fields of strawberries and raspberries, and vegetable gardens. Farmers from east Golden came to town selling produce from their horse-drawn wagons. (City of Golden 2018a:10)
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Nearby mining claims outside of Golden were an important market for the produce. In many cases, Golden’s residents also practiced small-scale subsistence agriculture by growing gardens and raising small numbers of domestic animals; this helped residents to be self-sufficient (Mehls 2001:37). By 1880, the “Clear Creek Valley between Denver and Golden was known as a ‘veritable garden,’ because of the shallow ground water and early irrigation ditching possibilities” (Mehls 2001:35). The commercial agricultural boom continued through World War I but the end of the war reduced demand for crops, as it also did on a national scale. Some farmers switched to raising livestock, which offered higher returns than crops. Although crop prices rose slightly during the 1920s, farmers’ economic problems were soon compounded by the Great Depression (Mehls 2001:38). As a result, many smaller and struggling farms failed during the 1920s and 1930s, a common pattern throughout much of the west at the time (Mehls 2001:38). Following these same national trends, demand for agricultural products rose again during World War II as part of the war effort, but prices declined again after the war; the numbers of farms and ranches in and around Golden declined accordingly (Mehls 2001:38–39). The suburbs that began to grow rapidly after World War II also began to take up increasing amounts of farmland and were likely a contributing factor in the decline of farming in the area (Mehls 2001:39).
Several early ranches remain in and around Golden. One is the Thiede Ranch, which is located in Sawmill Gulch off Interstate 70 and was first established as a part of early agriculture in Mount Vernon Canyon. Settlers in this area largely sold their livestock and produce to nearby mining towns (Reed 1995).
During the period from 1875–1945, the canyon and its surrounding hills and valleys functioned largely as a farm and ranch community. Families cultivated hay, raised cattle for beef and milk, and grew a variety of vegetables, especially potatoes. The Thiede family raised cattle and grew potatoes which they marketed in Golden. (Reed 1995:Section 8, Page 6)
Although this area is now primarily used for recreation, some ranches (including the Thiede Ranch) remain in use. For further information, please consult the Thiede Ranch NRHP nomination form (Reed 1995).
The Rooney Ranch is another such ranch. It was founded by Alexander Rooney in 1861 and is the oldest property continuously operated by the same family in Jefferson County. It was also the county’s largest cattle ranch ever and has one of the oldest stone buildings in the county (Colorado Encyclopedia 2018b). Rooney “. . . put up hay and grass from his ranch, did enough vegetable farming for his family, but primarily raised cattle and horses. He chose to raise a special breed of cattle, and first introduced Galloway cattle imported from Scotland to the West” (NPS 1975). As with the Thiede Ranch, the Rooney Ranch continues to operate today, although it is increasingly surrounded by development (Colorado Encyclopedia 2018b). The Rooney Ranch is important in Golden’s history both for its unusual size and for its position as the oldest ranch continuously operated by the same family.
Irrigation is always a critical part of agricultural history in the arid west. 1 In 1859, David K. Wall began the first commercial agricultural enterprise in Jefferson County and Colorado as a whole, a commercial garden (City of Golden 2018a:10; Wagenbach and Thistlewood 1987:3). Wall was born in Ohio and had previously worked as a miner, storekeeper, and produce gardener in California during the Gold Rush there (Lomond 2009:556). In 1859, he introduced irrigation farming to Golden (Lomond 2009:556). “Hailed as the ‘father of Colorado irrigation,’ David K. Wall diverted water from Clear Creek to his fields near Golden in early 1859. . . .” (Lomond 2009:597). He enjoyed immense success from his first harvest, earning $2,000 the first year (Wagenbach and Thistlewood 1987:3).
1 It is important to note that in many cases, mining operations also required water, so the establishment of water transport systems in Colorado does not always relate to agriculture (Mehls 2001:47).
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Several irrigation ditches were established in the Golden area between 1859 and the 1870s. These included the Wannemaker Ditch (which received water rights to Clear Creek in 1868), Welch Ditch (and its associated wooden flume, established in 1871), and the Golden City and Arapahoe Ditch (established prior to 1872).
The Wannemaker Ditch, claimed by J.E. Wannemaker and Joseph Standley, was legally entitled to Clear Creek priorities of 21 cubic feet per second in 1868 (Lomond 2009:597). The Welch Ditch was originally hand-built and diverted agricultural water from Clear Creek. It was the largest of three ditches that crossed the Daniels Valley east of Golden (Lomond 2009:597). The ditch “was extended further to the north side of South Table Mountain in 1874 to irrigate approximately 4,000 acres of land in central Jefferson County” (City of Golden 2011:22). In 1896, a flood destroyed many of the system’s original components including the dam, headgates, and wood flume. A concrete flume and bypass tunnels were added to the system in the early 1900s (City of Golden 2011:22). The Welch Ditch remains in use and is now operated by the Golden Canal and Reservoir Company, which is owned by the Agricultural Ditch and Reservoir Company (Agricultural Ditch and Reservoir Company 2018).
The Golden City and Arapahoe Ditch was another early ditch. By 1872, it extended from Clear Creek almost to Ralston Creek. It was later incorporated into various companies, and by 1886, it was a part of the Farmer’s High Line Canal and Reservoir Company (FHLCRC), which had an extensive irrigation ditch system (Lomond 2009:597). The FHLCRC was incorporated in 1885. Unlike many irrigation companies, which devoted most of their energy to creating entirely new irrigation systems, the FHLCRC instead decided it was more cost-effective to buy existing ditches and canals and incorporate them into the company’s irrigation system, including the Golden Ditch. During the early 1900s, the company replaced and updated components of the irrigation system (Gabriel 2012).
As Jefferson County, Colorado: A Unique and Eventful History observes, “In the rough-and-tumble economic atmosphere of the JeffCo frontier, many ditches became commodities to be sold, traded or leased” (Lomond 2009:597). This resulted in the leasing, organization, re-organization, and merging of various companies running the area’s irrigation systems (Lomond 2009:597). It should also be noted that all the irrigation ditches relied on water claims from Clear Creek (City of Golden 2018a:10). These water claims were governed by the doctrine of prior appropriation (also known as the Colorado Doctrine of water law due to its development in the state) (Lomond 2009:597).
The essence of the doctrine of prior appropriation is that, while no one may own the water in a stream, all persons, corporations, and municipalities have the right to use the water for beneficial purposes. The allocation of water rests upon the fundamental maxim "first in time, first in right.” (FindLaw 2018)
This means that under the doctrine, the first individual or corporation to put water to beneficial use (such as irrigation) had the primary right to that water, assuming that they continued to use it. In practice, this meant that the earliest claimants had access to water, while later would-be claimants found that no water remained available to be claimed. As a result, water became a valuable commodity in Colorado because it was scarce and the lack of access to it could spell disaster for farmers. In Golden, as with many communities, considerable legal wrangling over water rights occurred between farmers, and also sometimes between farms and mining operations (Mehls 2001:41–43).
The importance of irrigation to agriculture in the Golden area is difficult to overstate. One early pioneer, Edward Berthoud, observed that it offered a way to counteract the environmental damage that mining and early settlement practices were causing.
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In 1873, Captain Berthoud wrote a brief ‘early history’ of Jefferson County. He praised what the pioneers had accomplished but was concerned about water evaporating quickly in the semi-arid climate. He recommended the use of irrigation ditches to ‘counterbalance the destruction of our mountain forests by the miner, the farmer, and our destructive forest fires, which have seriously impaired the water retaining power of the water shed of Clear Creek.’ (Lomond 2009:42).
In summary, Golden’s agricultural history during the twentieth century largely followed national trends, but its earlier history is notable for several reasons. The city’s early agriculture was made possible through the development of Colorado’s first modern irrigation system, and the first commercial agricultural enterprise in Colorado began in Golden. During the settlement period, the community served as an important producer of food that was then sold to miners throughout the surrounding region. The Rooney Ranch in Golden is also particularly important both as the largest cattle ranch in the county and because it is the oldest operation continuously operated by one family.
PROPERTIES AND POTENTIAL PROPERTY TYPES
Historic agricultural properties and potential property types important in telling the story of ranching and farming are located both inside and outside Golden’s city limits (Table 1).
Table 1. Properties and Potential Property Types Associated with Agriculture
Properties Potential Property Types
Name Historic Designation or Survey Status
Allen Farmhouse/Hartzell-Allen Recommended eligible for the NRHP Buildings Residence Golden History Park (formerly Clear Recommended eligible for the NRHP Farmhouses, barns, silos, outbuildings Creek History Park) Farmer’s Highline Canal and Determined eligible for the NRHP Flour mills Reservoir Company Golden City and Arapahoe Ditch No data Granges Rooney Ranch NRHP listed Ranches, ranch houses, barns, outbuildings Thiede Ranch NRHP listed Districts Wannemaker Ditch No data Farms and farmsteads Irrigation ditches Ranches and ranch house complexes Objects Farm equipment Sites Kitchen gardens Open space Orchards Structures Irrigation ditches
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GOALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Continuous development has resulted in the loss of the cultural landscape associated with ranching and farming in and around Golden, including many of the farms and ranches that were once linked by a complex irrigation system. A few ranches and major ditches do remain, however, and their preservation and interpretation will be an important aspect of recreating that lost landscape and telling the story of agriculture. Many of the goals and recommendations for preserving that story and improving its interpretation, understanding, and enjoyment may best be conducted in collaboration with the Golden History Museum and Park, where interpretation of early agriculture is presently concentrated. • Supplement the context by conducting further research on ranching and the Granger movement in Golden • Identify historically significant examples of agricultural property types within Golden through further survey • Designate significant buildings and structures on the local level or nominate them to the NRHP • Increase public awareness of agricultural history and resources in and around Golden through methods such as: o Posting informational signs by resources, particularly irrigation ditches, the history and importance of which is not always self-evident o Preparing articles or written materials on agricultural history to post on public websites o Organizing history day competitions for schools o Creating exhibits on agriculture developed in cooperation with area museums or history organizations • Collaborate with Jefferson County Open Space to protect historic agricultural sites and structures outside city limits (see Mehls 2001)
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Figure 6. Cast of T-rex tooth found on South Table Mountain in 1874 by Jarvis Hall student Peter T. Dotson under the auspices of Arthur Lakes. Photograph taken 2016. Courtesy Golden History Museum, City of Golden Collection.
Archaeology, Paleontology, and Geology in Golden, 12,000 B.P.– Present
The theme of archaeology relates to the study of prehistoric and historic cultures through excavation and the analysis of physical remains. Subthemes include ethnic heritage and exploration and settlement. Paleontology and geology are also related themes.
This section provides a generalized summary of the Golden region’s prehistoric and protohistoric archaeology, followed by a discussion of the history of paleontology and geology in Golden (Figure 6). A detailed context exists for the Platte River Basin (the region in which Golden is located), from which this section is primarily drawn. For a more detailed context of regional archaeology, please see Gilmore et al. (1999). Additionally, the themes most likely to appear in historic archaeology relating to Euro-Americans are covered in the other themes of this report and will not be discussed here.
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The Paleoindian Stage, between 12,000 B.P. and 7500 B.P., is generally accepted as the first period of occupation in the region. The stage is generally divided into three periods: the Clovis Period (12,000 B.P.–11,000 B.P.), the Folsom Period (11,000 B.P.–10,000 B.P.), and the Plano Period (10,000 B.P.– 7500 B.P.). During this stage, the region’s inhabitants primarily subsisted as hunters and gatherers. Lifeways, particularly during the Folsom and Plano Periods, often centered around the hunting, killing, and processing of bison and possibly other large fauna; less is known about the Clovis Period, but hunting was also likely a very important aspect in the lives of the region’s inhabitants (Chenault 1999:63, 82).
The next stage of occupation was the Archaic Stage, which is divided into three periods: the Early Archaic (7500 B.P–5000 B.P.), Middle Archaic (5000 B.P.–3000 B.P.), and Late Archaic (3000 B.P.– 1800 B.P.). Due to the small number of sites dating to this stage, comparatively little is known about the Archaic Stage. The climate during this stage underwent changes from the Paleoindian Stage, which resulted in a reduction in bison and an increased emphasis on foraging and the hunting of smaller animals (Tate 1999:91). For all three periods, the type of archaeological resources varies based on geography. Within the Platte River Basin (and even in the area directly around Golden), the geography can vary widely between plains, foothills, and mountains. The most common types of archaeological sites for each geographic land form in each period are presented in Table 2 below.
Table 2. Archaeological Site Types from the Archaic Stage, by Geographic Land Form
Geographic Land Form Early Archaic Middle Archaic Late Archaic (7500–5000 B.P.) (5000–3000 B.P.) (3000–1800 B.P.)
Plains Open camps, bison kills Open camps, burial Open camps, sheltered camps, bison kill, burial Foothills Open and sheltered Sheltered and open Open and sheltered campsites campsites, burials campsites, butchering sites Mountains Game drives, butchering Large multicomponent game Open camps, plant and sites, hunting camps drives, small open camp animal processing site, hunting blind, game drives, isolated hearths
Source: Tate (1999)
The Late Prehistoric Stage (1800 B.P.–410 B.P.) (A.D. 150–1540) followed the Archaic Stage. It is usually divided into the Early Ceramic period (1800 B.P.–800 B.P) and the Middle Ceramic period (800 B.P.–410 B.P.). In general, the Late Prehistoric Stage was characterized by the introduction of new material culture, particularly ceramics and the bow and arrow (which replaced the previously utilized atlatl). Native American lifeways during this period also shifted toward increasingly settled village life. Archaeological sites from this period tend to include pithouse depressions, middens, storage features, and an increase in the amount and variety of artifacts within assemblages (Gilmore et al. 1999:177). For further information about the Late Prehistoric Stage, Gilmore et al. provide detailed information about settlement patterns, burials, lithics, and ceramic production in the region (Gilmore 1999:261–281).
The Protohistoric Period (A.D. 1540–1860) encompasses the chronological period beginning with European contact and ending with the “permanent settlement by literate peoples,” at which point the historic period began (Clark 1999:309). Although direct contact with Europeans may not have occurred for all Native American cultural groups within the region, indirect cultural exchanges began to occur throughout the Platte River Basin during this period as a result of the introduction of new trade goods (particularly horses and guns). However, “Until permanent settlement by Euroamericans, the material culture evident in the region was affected by but not superceded by European expansion” (Clark 1999:309). In addition to contact with Europeans, the Protohistoric Period was also characterized by climate change, during which the regional climate (which had experienced severe droughts for several
16 City of Golden Historic Preservation Plan hundred years) normalized (Clark 1999:309). During the period, various cultural groups also occupied the Platte River Basin, including Kiowa, Ute, Apache (although they had primarily left by ca. 1750), and Comanche; with the introduction of guns and horses, the Arapaho and Cheyenne also moved into the region (Clark 1999:310; Zupan and Packard 2004:24).
One significant archaeological site from the Protohistoric Period located near Golden is Inspiration Tree Picnic Area. Based on historic accounts, this site was used as a meeting place by the Utes when holding councils.
Inspiration Tree (5JF806), as indicated by the site name, is now a picnic area. A sparse scatter of lithic artifacts, some of which are thermally altered, is the only material indication of activity at this site. However, the Inspiration Tree, also known as ‘Chief Colorow Tree’ or ‘Ute Council Tree’ has been identified as a location for Ute council. (Gilmore et al. 1999:318–319)
There are a number of other notable archaeological sites in the Golden vicinity. Two sites worth noting are Magic Mountain and Chimney Gulch. The Magic Mountain site was one of the first archaeological sites to be professionally excavated in the area, and it has produced a large volume of prehistoric artifacts, bone fragments, and even architectural features (Colorado Encyclopedia 2018c). It is located near modern-day Heritage Square and is listed on the NRHP. Chimney Gulch is a rockshelter near the entrance to Clear Creek Canyon; it dates to the Late Prehistoric period (Van Ness 2018). These sites provide extensive information about the lives of Golden’s prehistoric and proto-historic residents and (in the case of Magic Mountain) were some of the first such resources to be professionally investigated in the region; as a result, Golden is significant within the state and region for its archaeology.
Although paleontology and geology are not strictly “historical,” Golden is also known for the history of paleontological and geological research and activities that occurred there. Arthur Lakes, generally credited for setting off the “dinosaur bone rush” in the American West, is a particularly notable resident of the area, and was an important figure in the history of paleontology and geology in Golden and the United States (Simmons and Honda 2018).
Lakes (1844–1917) was born in England, where he studied theology and natural sciences. He arrived in Colorado in 1867. He worked in Golden to teach writing and drawing (and by 1874 mineralogy) at Jarvis Hall, a local school, and helped found the Calvary Episcopal Church. While hiking on South Table Mountain in 1874, he discovered what was later determined to be the first Tyrannosaurus rex tooth ever found; he sent the tooth to Yale University, but it was never followed up on. In 1877, he and a friend discovered a large fossilized bone on the Dakota Hogback near Morrison, Colorado (directly south of Golden). This find did come to the attention of academia, and he began to collect bones for O.C. Marsh, a leading American paleontologist at Yale (Simmons and Honda 2018).
Lakes’ professional work was not limited to paleontology. In 1880, he was hired as a professor of geology at the Colorado School of Mines. In this role, he published numerous books, illustrations of mines and geology, and founded a journal, the American Geologist (later Economic Geology and the Bulletin of the Society of Economic Geologists) (Simmons and Honda 2018). While working at the Colorado School of Mines, he also founded its Geology Museum and gathered much of its early collection (Morrison Historical Society 2018).
The most important site for paleontology near Golden is Dinosaur Ridge, “a world-renowned geological and paleontological outdoor museum” in Morrison, Colorado (Golden Visitors Center 2018). It is located at the site of 300 Iguanodon-like dinosaur tracks discovered in 1937 as part of a road construction project (Golden Visitors Center 2018). The leading geology-related institution in Golden is the Colorado School of Mines. The School of Mines was founded in 1873, when it was run by the Episcopal Church. Just one
17 City of Golden Historic Preservation Plan year later, in 1874, the Colorado Territory took over its operation, and in 1876, it became a state-run institution when Colorado gained statehood. “Courses offered to students during the early years of Colorado School of Mines included chemistry, metallurgy, mineralogy, mining engineering, geology, botany, math and drawing. The focus of the early academic programs was on gold and silver, and the assaying of those minerals” (Colorado School of Mines 2018). It continues to operate to the present.
PROPERTIES AND POTENTIAL PROPERTY TYPES
Archaeological, paleontological, and geological properties important in Golden’s history are located both inside and outside Golden’s city limits (Table 3).
Table 3. Properties and Potential Property Types Associated with Archaeology, Paleontology, and Geology
Properties Potential Property Types
Name Historic Designation or Survey Status
Chimney Gulch Rockshelter No data Buildings/Structures Colorado School of Mines (Geology Determined eligible for the Residences or businesses Museum, Geology Trail, U.S. NRHP/recommended “needs data” associated with important persons Geological Survey Earthquake (depending on building) (such as Arthur Lakes) Center) Dinosaur Ridge (Crocodile Creek) No data Districts Inspiration Tree/Chief Colorow Tree No data Traditional Native American cultural (Smithsonian No. 5JF806) properties (TCPs) Magic Mountain Site NRHP listed Objects Morrison Museum of Natural History No data Monuments National Earthquake Center No data Sculpture/statuary Rockwell Mine No data Sites Rubey Clay Mine No data Clear Creek confluence Table Mountain No data Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/T) Boundary Triceratops Trail No data Land forms (mesas) Paleontological sites
GOALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
There are many well-known and well-documented sites associated with the themes of archaeology, paleontology, and geology in and around Golden, and several other organizations are actively preserving and interpreting these resources. Goals and recommendations therefore focus on understanding the history of each field and the people associated with it, and on collaborating with existing organizations to promote the interpretation, understanding, and enjoyment of these themes. • Supplement the context by conducting further research on the history of archaeology and paleontology in and around Golden and the people associated with these fields • Designate any significant sites or districts in Golden on the local level or nominate them to the NRHP • Increase public awareness of archaeology and paleontology in Golden through methods such as:
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o Cooperating with local museums such as the Golden History Museum and Park and Dinosaur Ridge to host “locals free” days o Partnering with local groups, such as Native American tribes or the Colorado School of Mines, to develop educational material for schools or the public o Presenting information in articles or publications that may be posted on public websites o Sponsoring a “prehistory day” competition for schools • Collaborate with Jefferson County Open Space to protect archaeological and paleontological sites outside city limits
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Figure 7. Linder Block, November 1958. Courtesy Golden History Museum, City of Golden Collection.
Commerce in Golden, 1859–1968
The theme of commerce relates to the business of trading goods, services, and commodities. Subthemes include architecture and industry.
Golden has functioned as a regional center of commerce since its inception (Figure 7). The town was established in 1859 by the Boston Company as a trading post. Its location near mining districts and its railroad connection to Denver (established in 1870) made it particularly well-suited to trade within the region. Not only did Golden have ready local markets in the mining districts to the west, it also was connected to regional and even national manufacturers and markets (Golden HPB 2003).
As a result of its role as a commercial center, Golden grew quickly. “A toll bridge, two stores, and the county’s first commercial garden were among the settler’s first endeavors. Golden’s location at the mouth of Clear Creek Canyon furthered the town’s aspirations as a supply center and aided its role as a transportation hub for freight wagons and, later, the railroad” (City of Golden 2018a:9). Manufacturing also quickly became a key component of the community’s economy, including milling, smelting ore from nearby mines, and electrical generation. “Early Golden industries also included a cigar factory, candy factory, paper mill, glass plant, three lime kilns, and several stone quarries” (City of Golden 2018a:10).
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While mining provided an early stimulus to the economy of Colorado generally and Golden specifically during the 1870s and 1880s, in the 1890s the community’s livelihood was threatened by changes in federal legislation that had previously mandated that the federal government purchase silver, the state’s most important mining product. In 1893, President Grover Cleveland repealed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890, resulting in the decline of silver prices nationally and abruptly causing a crash in the mining industry. The result was known as the Denver Depression of 1893, and out-of-work miners flooded into Denver from previously prosperous mining camps (EllensPlace 2018).
Commerce in Golden suffered with this reversal of fortune. Several banks, including the Everett Bank and the Jefferson County Bank, failed. Other businesses, such as the grocery store located in the Stewart Block building, also went bankrupt (City of Golden 2011:19). Despite this, the city recovered and some companies reopened, such as the Jefferson County Bank, which became the Rubey National Bank.
Development continued through the early twentieth century. Several important historic business buildings were erected, such as the Quaintance Block (built 1911), the Coors Building (built 1906), and the Hotel Berrimoor (built 1924). Perhaps the best-known commercial building from this period is the Pahaska Tepee, which was constructed as a part of Lookout Mountain Park in 1921. As the Lookout Mountain NRHP form states,
A museum and restaurant housed within the building were managed by Mr. Baker. The museum collection was comprised almost entirely of items donated by [Buffalo Bill] Cody's wife, Louisa M. Cody. The museum collection has been removed to the new Buffalo Bill Museum on the site, and the Pahaska Tepee now serves as the museum gift shop and snack bar. (Moss 1988a:Section 7, Page 3)
As with the Depression of 1893, the Great Depression of the 1930s also hit the businesses and the people of Golden hard. For example, “Edward A. Phinney . . . sacrificed much of his personal wealth trying to save [his bank] before failing again during the Great Depression (1931)” (City of Golden 2011:6). However, with the New Deal of the Roosevelt Administration, Golden began to recover. For instance, the First National Bank opened in 1937, and in 1940, Golden received its first “true post office building” at 621 12th Street (City of Golden 2011:3,6).
With the end of World War II, Golden began to expand as additional roads were built and land was platted (Lomond 2009:19, U.S. Geological Survey 1939, 1957, 1965). During the post-war era, commercial development continued. This included the construction of a bank building in 1958 that has housed the First Interstate Bank, the Golden Bank, Norwest Bank, and Wells Fargo (Golden HPB 2003). The construction of Interstate 70 in 1970 further spurred development, both commercial and residential.
PROPERTIES AND POTENTIAL PROPERTY TYPES
Commercial properties and potential property types important in Golden’s history are primarily located within city limits, particularly in the developed downtown commercial area along and adjacent to Washington Avenue (Table 4).
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Table 4. Properties and Potential Property Types Associated with Commerce
Properties Potential Property Types
Name Historic Designation or Survey Status
Astor House NRHP listed, Locally Designated Structure of Buildings Merit Bank of the West/Golden Savings and Recommended eligible for the NRHP Banks Loan First National Bank in Golden/Wells Recommended eligible for the NRHP Boston Company Fargo Bank Golden Liquors/Bob’s Atomic Burger Recommended eligible for the NRHP Post-World War II individual commercial buildings Loveland Building NRHP listed, Locally Designated Structure of Professional offices Merit Nankivell & Jones Building/E. E. Determined eligible for the NRHP, Locally Stock companies Stewart Block Designated Structure of Merit Pahaska Teepee No data Districts Quaintance Block NRHP listed Business districts Richard Broad House Determined eligible for the NRHP, Locally Groups of post–World War II Designated Structure of Merit properties Washington Avenue Recommended not eligible for the NRHP
GOALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Golden’s commercial history is most visibly represented along Washington Avenue and adjacent streets, which retain a significant number of commercial buildings from all periods. Goals and recommendations for preserving the story of commerce and improving its interpretation, understanding, and enjoyment focus on further research, inventory, and the creation of a commercial historic district. • Supplement the context by conducting further research on commerce and commercial properties in Golden, particularly on the following topics: o Early commercial enterprises (such as the Boston Company) o Post–World War II construction o Alterations and additions made to commercial properties in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries o Key individuals in the more recent history of commerce in Golden • Identify significant commercial properties through further survey • Designate significant properties on the local level or nominate them to the NRHP as buildings and/or districts, particularly a downtown commercial district • Increase public awareness of commerce in Golden through methods such as the following: o Increasing the number of designed walking tours, possibly incorporating specific themes (such as historic pub crawl routes) into new tours o Installing interpretive signs in commercial areas, which might include historic photographs, facts about what once existed, or information about standing buildings and structures
22 City of Golden Historic Preservation Plan
Figure 8. Boston Company building, ca. 1859. Courtesy Colorado Historical Society.
Community Planning and Development in Golden, 1859–1968
The theme of community planning and development relates to the design or development of the physical structure of communities. Subthemes include architecture, ethnic heritage, politics and government, social history, and transportation.
Golden was founded in 1859 as a trading post owned by the Mechanics Mining & Trading Company, informally known as the Boston Company (Figure 8). The community quickly grew physically and in importance as a key trading post during the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush.
The 1,280 acre town site was surveyed by Berthoud in 1860. The first building was constructed by the Boston Company at 10th and Washington. Golden was incorporated in 1871, and the name changed from Golden City to Golden in 1872. (Norgren 1995:Section 8, Page 6)
During these early years Golden became a regional center of trade for nearby metal mining, agriculture, and manufacturing industries. Clay, lime, and rock quarries near the town provided building materials, and the nearby clay deposits also provided raw materials for bricks used in many of the earliest buildings (City of Golden 2018a:10; Norgren 1995:Section 8, Page 6).
The original plat for Golden was a typical prairie grid oriented toward Clear Creek. Settlers already on the land were permitted to retain the ground they occupied. The town
23 City of Golden Historic Preservation Plan
assured its survival by diversifying its industries. It quickly became the political and economic center of Jefferson County. (Mehls 2001:17)
The strategy of diversification succeeded. By the mid-1860s, Golden was booming. “In the mid-1860s, the town of Golden was witnessing a transition from a transportation hub servicing the Clear Creek gold towns to a settled community with its own agricultural and industrial economy” (Hanson 2001:Section 8, Page 7). Many of the town’s wealthier residents began to build increasingly permanent and stylish residences and businesses. In some cases, these houses, such as the Barnes-Peery Residence, were used to demonstrate their owners’ status and wealth.
Barnes' construction of his large brick home using a coherent architectural style was a statement of his presence and permanence in this community. As a recent immigrant to Colorado from the East coast, Barnes may have wanted to introduce an Eastern sense of culture and sophistication to Golden, using his mansion as a tangible statement of his own good taste. (Hanson 2001:Section 8, Page 7)
The construction of houses like the Barnes-Peery Residence were also physical demonstrations of the increasing permanence and changing identity of the community. In 1867 and 1871, two plats were added to the existing town: Kinney’s Addition (1867) and Welch’s Addition (1871) (City of Golden 2011:15). And with the establishment of railroad routes between the city and the mining towns in the mountains, Golden continued to grow and develop rapidly in the 1870s (Hanson 2001:Section 8, Page 8). This was one of Golden’s greatest periods of prosperity, largely because of the new transportation routes (Mehls 2001:17). By 1900, the Golden Illuminating Company had provided the city with the first electric streetlights in Colorado (Golden HPB 2003).
During the 1890s and 1900s, as a corollary to the population growth brought about by ongoing prosperity and permanence, suburbs began to develop around Golden. “This cultural and physical change impacted shopping patterns, transportation patterns and cultural activities. Changes in transportation also facilitated suburbs by allowing commuters to work farther from their source of employment” (Mehls 2001:18). The pattern continued during the early 1900s with the development of even further-removed satellite communities outside city limits such as Pleasant View, which was founded in 1908, and Fairmount, which was founded in the early 1900s (Mehls 2001:19). Such a boom was typical for many growing communities in America during the era, particularly in terms of the development of transportation and utilities infrastructure and the establishment of suburban satellite communities (Warner 1978).
Before World War II, distinct neighborhoods characterized the city. These were divided along both economic and cultural lines. For example, the Twelfth Street and City Park Heights neighborhoods housed the city’s wealthiest residents, who were often important players in local or state businesses, politics, or academic institutions; accordingly, the properties in these areas are often the largest and most expensive (City of Golden 2011:7, 11). Neighborhoods such as East Street were home to middle class citizens (City of Golden 2011:15). Other neighborhoods were divided by ethnicity. Both the 9th Street and Goosetown neighborhoods housed primarily blue-collar workers, but Goosetown was particularly well-known for housing immigrants from Germany, Sweden, Poland, and England. Both neighborhoods were centered around industrial operations and transportation routes, such as railroads.
After World War II, Golden underwent a dramatic change that was mirrored in cities throughout the nation. The influx of residents, many of whom were veterans seeking to establish families and homes, required housing. As a result, considerable housing development occurred starting in 1946. While waiting for housing, many veterans and their families lived in makeshift housing such as apartments and even repurposed turkey pens. Because of this influx of new residents, the city also boomed economically. To cope with the population increase, additional subdivisions, such as Goldcrest Heights, were added
24 City of Golden Historic Preservation Plan between the 1940s and 1960s, and services were upgraded (City of Golden 2011:17, 20). For example, “In 1940 Golden had 982 telephones in use; by 1946 the number jumped to 1,458” (Lomond 2009:34). By 1947, new phonelines and switchboards were added to the city’s existing system. Additionally, Golden “. . . built recreation centers and parks, courthouses, office buildings, business, schools, dams and highways” (Lomond 2009:34).
By 1949, it was obvious that the new development required management and oversight on the part of the municipality, and Golden established its first zoning ordinances in response. In 1954, the Golden Planning Commission was established (Golden HPB 2003). And in 1968, the Golden City Council passed the first ordinance approving planned unit development zoning (Golden HPB 2003).
PROPERTIES AND POTENTIAL PROPERTY TYPES
Community development-related properties important in Golden’s history are all located within city limits; these include the original town plat and the multiple additions made to the city throughout its history (Table 5).
Table 5. Properties and Potential Property Types Associated with Community Planning and Development
Properties Potential Property Types
Name Historic Designation or Survey Status
8th and 9th Street Historic District Local historic district Buildings 12th Street Historic District NRHP listed; local historic district Post–World War II architecture Barber’s Addition No data Residences Barnes-Peery House NRHP listed, Locally Designated Structure Buildings associated with New Deal of Merit programs City Park Heights No data Districts Denver Mountain Parks (Lookout No data Commercial districts Mountain Park and Drive) Downtown Station Post Office Determined eligible for the NRHP Residential districts East Street Historic District Local historic district Objects Goldcrest Heights No data Public monuments Golden Cemetery NRHP listed, Locally Designated Structure Public sculpture or art installations of Merit Golden Park Addition No data Sites Goosetown No data Cemeteries Kinney’s Addition No data Structures Mineral Land Company Addition No data Infrastructure (roads, power, water, etc.) Welch’s Addition No data Bridges and other structures associated with New Deal programs
GOALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The theme of community planning and development is most clearly embodied in Golden’s neighborhoods and in properties such as public buildings and cemeteries. Goals and recommendations for preserving this theme and improving its interpretation, understanding, and enjoyment are as follows:
25 City of Golden Historic Preservation Plan
• Supplement the context by conducting further research, particularly on recently developed neighborhoods such as those built after World War II • Identify significant examples of post–World War II development and architecture, particularly within planned communities, through further survey • Also through further survey, identify significant residential resources outside of the present historic districts from other parts of the historic period • Designate significant properties on the local level or nominate them to the NRHP as buildings and/or districts, particularly post-World War II neighborhoods (which are currently unrepresented on local, state, or national registers and which are now of historic age and may be eligible) • Increase public awareness of community planning and development in Golden by preparing informative articles and publications based on research and survey results, and incorporating new information in the existing historic city tour guide • Increase public awareness of community planning and development in Golden by increased involvement of the HPB with the City and the Golden History Museum
26 City of Golden Historic Preservation Plan
Figure 9. Postcard: School of Mines, Golden, Colorado, ca. 1891. Courtesy Golden History Museum, City of Golden Collection.
Education in Golden, 1859–1968
The theme of education relates to the process of conveying or acquiring knowledge or skills through systematic instruction, training, or study. Subthemes include architecture and social history.
The first school in Golden, Golden High School, was established in 1860, almost concurrent with the town’s founding. It was the first to open in Jefferson County and the second to open in the Colorado Territory. The school occupied many locations and went through various iterations, beginning with a school building erected on 13th Street in 1866, the South School (constructed in 1873 and later expanded to include rented space nearby in 1878), and the North School (constructed in 1880). A bond passed in 1921 funded the construction of a new high school building (named Golden High School), which was built near the North School in 1924. Golden High School operated as a high school from 1924 to 1956, after which it became Golden Junior High from 1956 to 1988. In 1993, the Colorado Mountain Club and American Alpine Club acquired the building, which had been declared surplus to the school district five years earlier (Jenkins 1996).
Shortly after Golden High School’s founding, the Colorado School of Mines was established in 1874 (Figure 9), but later moved from a schoolhouse to a more permanent campus as a result of disaster:
After a church-financed schoolhouse on the eastern edge of Golden blew down in a windstorm, a brick classroom was constructed on the present-day campus. City fathers W.A.H. Loveland, Charles C. Welch, and Edward L. Berthoud helped establish the college, either by serving on the board of trustees or by contributing funds or land to the fledgling school. (City of Golden 2018a:10)2
2 For additional information about W.A.H. Loveland and Edward L. Berthoud, please see the section of this report on Exploration and Settlement.
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The school was initially opened in 1873 by the Episcopal Church but was shifted to the control of the Colorado Territory in 1874. The first formal graduation ceremony occurred in 1883. The mission of the school was to provide education in geology and mining:
Courses offered to students during the early years of Colorado School of Mines included chemistry, metallurgy, mineralogy, mining engineering, geology, botany, math and drawing. The focus of the early academic programs was on gold and silver, and the assaying of those minerals. As the institution grew, its mission expanded to focus specifically on understanding the Earth, harnessing energy and sustaining the environment. (Colorado School of Mines 2018)
The most visible aspect of the School of Mines, the 104 ×107–foot letter M on Lookout Mountain, was designed by Joseph Francis O’Byrne, a mathematics professor at the school, and was installed in 1909 (City of Golden 2011:17; Golden HPB 2003). The School of Mines remains an important academic institution to the present, offering a range of degrees in fields such as engineering, geology, and environmental sciences (City of Golden 2018a:10).
In 1881 another school, the State Industrial School for Boys (also called the Lookout Mountain School), was founded (Golden HPB 2003). Unlike the Colorado School of Mines, the State Industrial School was created as a rehabilitation school for “incorrigible young men between the ages of 7 and 16” (Asylum Projects 2018). The intention of the institution was to offer a means to educate and rehabilitate those it served. It was renamed the Lookout Mountain School for Boys in 1968, and in the 1980s, it was repurposed as the Lookout Mountain Youth Services Center for male offenders between 15 and 21 years old. It remains in use to the present (Asylum Projects 2018).
Between the 1920s and 1960s, several public schools were also established to accommodate continued population growth. The first was Golden High School (now Golden Junior High) in 1924, which became the first accredited high school in Colorado. In 1937, Central School (later Mitchell Elementary School) was built, followed by Bell Middle School in 1963 (Golden HPB 2003).
Although not technically a school, another Golden institution that served youth was the Queen of Heaven Orphanage Summer Camp. The Queen of Heaven Orphanage was established by Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini in Denver in 1904, primarily to serve the children of Italian immigrants. In 1909, Mother Cabrini purchased property near Golden for use as a summer camp for the orphans. The construction of the main building, the Stone House, began in 1912. The summer camp continued to operate until the Queen of Heaven Orphanage ceased operation in 1967 (Fiore 1999).
In summary, almost since its founding, education has been of high importance to the citizens of Golden. From a long history of secondary education to the establishment of the Colorado School of Mines, Golden has been a state leader in education. The theme of education is particularly important given Golden’s history of early achievement in the area and the continued importance of the School of Mines in the community and the state.
28 City of Golden Historic Preservation Plan
PROPERTIES AND POTENTIAL PROPERTY TYPES
Education-related properties important in Golden’s history are primarily located within city limits but also include resources significant in the city’s history that are outside city limits such as the Queen of Heaven Orphanage Summer Camp (Table 6).
Table 6. Properties and Potential Property Types Associated with Education
Properties Potential Property Types
Name Historic Designation or Survey Status
Arthur Lakes Library (Colorado School of Determined eligible for the NRHP Buildings Mines) Berthoud Hall (Colorado School of Mines) Determined eligible for the NRHP Grade schools Central Grade School Determined eligible for the NRHP Private schools Chauvenet Hall (Colorado School of Mines) Determined eligible for the NRHP Charter schools Colorado School of Mines campus No data Religious schools Colorado School of Mines’ “M” No data Structures Golden High School NRHP listed, Locally Designated Structure of Athletic arenas/fields Merit Golden High School “G” on South Table No data Districts Mountain Golden State Industrial School No data Academic campuses Guggenheim Hall (Colorado School of Determined eligible for the NRHP Mines) Guy Hill School Recommended eligible for the NRHP, Locally Designated Structure of Merit Hall of Engineering (Colorado School of Determined eligible for the NRHP Mines) Harry D. Campbell Field (Colorado School Recommended eligible for the NRHP of Mines) Lookout Mountain School for Boys Determined eligible for the NRHP Queen of Heaven Orphanage NRHP listed Sigma Nu Fraternity House* Recommended not eligible for the NRHP, recommended eligible for NRHP Steinhauer Field House (Colorado School Determined eligible for the NRHP of Mines) Stratton Hall (Colorado School of Mines) Determined eligible for the NRHP
* Colorado COMPASS database notes that this resource is ineligible while the City of Golden database notes it is eligible.
GOALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Many buildings in Golden remain to convey its long and rich history of education at all levels. Goals and recommendations for preserving this story and improving its interpretation, understanding, and enjoyment center on designating significant buildings and districts and increasing interpretation. Collaboration with the Colorado School of Mines will be an important component of these efforts. • Supplement the story of education in and around Golden by conducting further research on private educational institutions
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• Designate significant buildings and districts on the local level or nominate them to the NRHP • Increase public awareness of historic education-related properties through methods such as the following: o Creating a printable walking tour for the Colorado School of Mines o Developing educational programming or hallway displays in cooperation with local schools
30 City of Golden Historic Preservation Plan
Figure 10. Lookout Mountain Park Funicular, 1912. Courtesy Golden History Museum Bathke Collection, City of Golden.
Entertainment and Recreation, Landscape Architecture, and Conservation in and around Golden, 1859–1968
The theme of entertainment and recreation relates to the development and practice of leisure activities for refreshment, diversion, amusement, or sport. Subthemes are architecture and landscape architecture. Conservation is a related theme. Golden’s founders could hardly have known in 1859 that the town they established would be a regional center not only of commerce and government, but also of recreation (Figure 10). Like most cities, Golden quickly developed a number of entertainment- and recreation-based businesses. These included bars, saloons, bowling halls, swimming pools, theaters, athletic clubs, and dance halls (City of Golden 2011). Additionally, the city boasted sports teams that required playing fields, including the Colorado School of Mines football field, which was built in 1893 (City of Golden 2011:11). The Golden Opera House (opened in 1879) was a particularly important fixture within the community and hosted a wide range of entertainment, including traveling theater companies, local drama clubs, debates, drill team competitions, and even church and fraternal lodge festivals (Wagenbach and Thistlewood 1987:63). The period between the late 1940s and the present also added several key attractions to the list of important entertainment and recreation structures, including Golden’s Welcome Arch (built 1949), Heritage Square (built in 1957), and the Foothills Art Center (established in 1968) (City of Golden 2011). Unlike most cities, however, Golden was is well-known for the outdoor recreation opportunities it offers its residents and those of nearby cities like Denver. Many of these attractions were established quite early in the history of the community. One early example of the use of the city’s natural surroundings for recreation are Charles Quaintance’s various enterprises associated with Castle Rock. Castle Rock is a natural formation on South Table Mountain near downtown Golden. By the early 1900s, tourism had increased in Golden because of the
31 City of Golden Historic Preservation Plan development of interurban rail lines between the city and nearby Denver. Quaintance first began to offer burro rides up Castle Rock for these tourists (Gardner 1993). In 1913, he further expanded the operation to include a funicular (a type of tram car up a steep slope) that ran to the top of Castle Rock. “This rail car system operated with two cars serving as counter balances to each other, using gravity to control the ascent and descent of the cars” (Gardner 1993:Section 8, Page 5). For tourists traveling to the top, Quaintance built a dance pavilion and a café. He lined the rock and funicular road with lights. The attraction brought additional tourists to Golden from throughout the region and was widely promoted by Quaintance. Tickets for the trip up the Rock were sold at the Quaintance Block. Travelers alighting from the interurban cars saw the huge billboard on top of the Quaintance Block advertising the Castle Rock Mountain Railway & Park. A smaller sign in the window of the photograph gallery advised tourists of the availability of "Kodaks" [souvenir photographs] within. (Gardner 1993:Section 8, Page 6) By the 1920s, however, the operation declined and had ceased by 1927, when the Ku Klux Klan likely burned down the dance pavilion (Gardner 1993:Section 8, Page 6–7). Forms of outdoor recreation intended purely to enjoy the natural environment also became popular early in Golden’s history. The best known is the Lariat Loop, built by William “Cement Bill” Williams beginning in 1911. The loop provided automobile access to the stunning scenery of the mountains just west of Golden. Williams also benefited from the Lariat Loop by running a garage of cars for rent by tourists (City of Golden 2011:7, 22). Later facilities, such as the Golden Tourist Park, which operated between 1924 and the 1950s, also catered to automobile tourists (City of Golden 2011:17). The entrance was marked with stone pylons (Jefferson County Historical Commission 2001:32). Because of this sort of tourism, the value (both economic and cultural) of the natural environment was obvious to Golden’s citizens early on. One example of a recreation attraction intended to conserve open space and the natural environment is Colorow Point Park. The park was created in 1913 and was intended to preserve a particularly scenic viewpoint. Colorow Point is one of the best overlooks for viewing portions of the Colorado Rockies. From this point many of the main peaks of the Continental Divide and peaks in Rocky Mountain National Park are visible as well as views of Clear Creek and the plains to the north. (Moss 1988b:Section 7) The park was initially identified by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., as an important area to preserve within a broader system of mountain parks, and as such represents an “. . . early example of conservation of open space in Colorado” (Moss 1988b:Section 8). Other key sites for outdoor recreation in Golden from the historic era to the present include Lookout Mountain and North and South Table Mountains. Lookout Mountain Park was first purchased as a part of the Denver Mountain Park System in 1913 and was one of its earliest parks. It too was recommended for purchase by Olmstead and was considered particularly desirable for recreational purposes because of its gently sloping land and excellent views. William Frederick “Buffalo Bill” Cody is also buried at the park (Moss 1988a:Section 7, Page 2). Clear Creek Canyon was also a popular tourist destination and was reached by early tourists via trains or (starting in the early 1900s) by automobile. Golden Tourist Park was a popular campground for these tourists (City of Golden 2018b). A present-day example is the Peaks to Plains Trail that will run through Golden; as of June 2018 it was partially complete but still under construction (Cushman and Cushman 2018).
In summary, Golden’s entertainment history mirrors that of similar communities throughout the western states and the nation as a whole. Its outdoor recreation history, however, reflects a remarkably prescient
32 City of Golden Historic Preservation Plan appreciation of the value of the natural environment around the community. Golden was blessed with remarkable scenery and convenient access to undeveloped natural areas, and the early efforts on the part of locals to protect those resources and to encourage outdoor were notable. Although such pushes for conservation and outdoor recreation were occurring nationally, they were often spearheaded by national or state governments. In the Golden area, the establishment of the nearby Denver Mountain Parks (a park and parkway system consisting of 47 interconnected parks in four counties) between 1912 and 1941 was a particularly striking example of conservation efforts (History Colorado 2018b). Although Golden did not originate the system, it benefitted from its close proximity. The emphasis on large-scale conservation and recreation on the local level in and around Golden is both unusual and significant.
PROPERTIES AND POTENTIAL PROPERTY TYPES
Properties significant under the themes of entertainment and recreation, landscape architecture, and conservation in and around Golden are located both inside and outside city limits (Table 7).
Table 7. Properties and Potential Property Types Associated with Entertainment and Recreation, Landscape Architecture, and Conservation
Properties Potential Property Types
Name Historic Designation or Survey Status
Aspen Lee (Heritage Square) Recommended eligible for the NRHP Buildings Beaver Brook Trail No data Theaters Boettcher Mansion No data Districts Calvary Post (Heritage Square/Magic Recommended eligible for the NRHP Recreational open space (e.g., Mountain) North and South Table Mountains) Castle Rock Dance Hall Demolished Objects Castle Rock Funicular Demolished Public art fixtures/sculptures Colorow Point Park NRHP listed Monuments Dinosaur Ride Building (Heritage Recommended eligible for the NRHP Sites Square) Dinosaur Ridge No data Jefferson County open space First Presbyterian Church of eligible for the NRHP Listed, Locally Historic parks and trails Golden/Foothills Art Center Designated Structure of Merit Forest River Ride Restroom Building Recommended eligible for the NRHP Structures (Heritage Square) Forest River Ride Auxiliary Building Recommended eligible for the NRHP Sports arenas (Heritage Square) Gasthaus/Alter Biergarten (Heritage Recommended eligible for the NRHP Amphitheaters Square) Golden Bowl Recommended eligible for the NRHP, recommended as Locally Designated Structure of Merit Golden Opera House Recommended not eligible for the NRHP Golden Tourist Park Recommended eligible for the NRHP, Locally Designated Structure of Merit Golden Welcome Sign State Register of Historic Places listed, Locally Designated Structure of Merit
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Properties Potential Property Types
Name Historic Designation or Survey Status
Heritage Square Recommended eligible for the NRHP Lariat Loop (including Pylons) NRHP listed, Locally Designated Structure of Merit Lookout Mountain Funicular No data Lookout Mountain Park NRHP listed Lorraine Lodge NRHP listed Magic Mountain Railroad Depot Recommended eligible for the NRHP North and South Table Mountains No data Peaks to Plains Trail Not of historic age Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre NRHP listed; National Historic Landmark Sarsaparilla Saloon (Heritage Square) Recommended eligible for the NRHP Snack Bar/Fort Tower (Heritage Recommended eligible for the NRHP Square) Snack Bar/Fort Notz (Heritage Recommended eligible for the NRHP Square) Trading Post (Heritage Square) Recommended eligible for the NRHP
GOALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Many resources associated with the theme of entertainment and recreation, landscape architecture, and conservation remain in and around Golden in the form of buildings and sites like parks, trails, and open space. Intact and operating recreational landscapes such as the Lariat Loop and Lookout Mountain Park remain while others, such as the Castle Rock enterprises associated with South Table Mountain, do not. Goals and recommendations for preserving the story of this theme and improving its interpretation, understanding, and enjoyment focus on recognizing these buildings, sites, and landscapes through further research and designation, often as historic sites or districts (when resources are concentrated geographically). Interpretation of lost resources through photographic and written materials is also important. And activities associated with landscape level resources will require collaboration with other entities like Jefferson County and Denver Mountain Parks. • Supplement the context through: o Further research on annual events and community traditions in Golden o Further research on the history of conservation and land management in and around Golden • Identify historically significant examples of entertainment and recreation, landscape architecture, and conservation property types through further survey • Designate significant properties on the local level or nominate them to the NRHP as buildings or districts. Collaborate with other organizations for landscape-level districts that extend beyond municipal boundaries. • Increase public outreach and education through the creation of new festivals or events at historic recreation and entertainment sites, tabling at existing public events, or offering historic tours at popular recreation destinations such as South Table Mountain • Collaborate with Jefferson County Open Space to protect historic entertainment, recreation, landscape architecture, and conservation sites and structures outside city limits (see Mehls 2001)
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Figure 11. Original Wannemaker Cabin with family, 1859. Courtesy Golden History Museum Bathke Collection, City of Golden.
Exploration and Settlement in Golden, 1859–ca. 1870
The theme of exploration and settlement relates to the investigation of unknown or little-known regions and the establishment and earliest development of new settlements or communities. Subthemes include architecture, ethnic heritage, agriculture, and social history.
The first residents of the Golden area were Native American tribes; during the protohistoric period, these were primarily the Ute, the Arapahoe, and the Cheyenne. The first Euro-Americans to reach Colorado were Spanish explorers in 1540–1541, who would be followed by many of their fellows until the first decade of the nineteenth century.
In 1806, the United States purchased a tremendous amount of land from France in the Louisiana Purchase, including what would become Colorado. Zebulon Pike, an officer in the U.S. Army, explored the new land on behalf of the federal government. This mission offered the first information about Colorado to people in the eastern part of the country. Another expedition, led by Maj. Stephen Long in 1818, also brought Euro-American explorers to the area. Based on the findings of the Long expedition, the federal government initially thought the area where Golden would be located was uninhabitable desert and did not encourage settlement (Mehls 2001:14).
Fur-trappers and traders were the first permanent Euro-American settlers in the region, and they established a number of trading posts and small settlements between 1832 and 1856 (Mehls 2001:15). A party of American pioneers traveling through Colorado in 1850 discovered gold, the first such discovery by Euro-Americans. In 1858, the finder, Lewis Ralston, returned with another party and began to mine gold in what is now Arvada, Colorado. Along with several other discoveries in 1857 and 1858, this initial mining quickly sparked what would become the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush in 1859 (Colorado Encyclopedia 2018a).
It was in 1858 that Tom Golden settled by Clear Creek. He was the first Euro-American resident of what would eventually be Golden, which was more firmly established the next year. Under the ownership of
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George West, the Mechanics Mining & Trading Company (informally known as the Boston Company) built a trading post that would form the nucleus of the new community (Golden HPB 2003; Lomond 2009:41).
Upon arrival, the men found little more than a collection of tents surrounding David Wall’s farm. Several homestead claims were filed, but no permanent structures had yet been built. The potential was evident: everyone on their way to Gregory’s or Jackson’s Diggings [early mining claims] would have to pass through this valley. Clear Creek afforded the most convenient avenue to both areas. This was where the newly reorganized Boston Company would put down roots. (Zupan and Packard 2004:48) Due to its favorable location, the post quickly grew. The first organizational meeting of the Golden City Town Company was held in June 1859, when the establishment of a formal town was discussed (Zupan and Packard 2004:49). By 1860, the settlement had 800 residents (Lomond 2009:42; Figure 11). During this period, irrigation ditches supported settlement era agriculture and mining operations (Mehls 2001:47). This was in contrast with three other towns in the Golden area that were settled around the same time: Arapahoe City, Mount Vernon, and Golden Gate City. All three developed in response to the early gold mining that occurred in the area, but each functioned in a different way. Arapahoe City (the first white settlement in the area) was a mining community founded in 1858, while Mount Vernon was founded as a regional government center prior to Colorado’s statehood (including the residence of the Provisional Governor of the Territory of Jefferson). Golden Gate City served as a supply town for the nearby mines (Mehls 2001:17). Each failed for different reasons. Arapahoe City had 200 registered voters and 30 buildings in 1859 but began to decline that same year because of the discovery of richer gold fields elsewhere. It was largely abandoned by 1863. Mount Vernon began as a townsite designed to serve traffic through Mount Vernon Canyon, and by 1860, it had 44 registered voters, two hotels, a blacksmith shop, and stores. It continued to be populated through the mid-1870s, but ultimately the community failed after being bypassed by the railroads that served nearby Golden. Golden Gate City was founded in 1859, and by the end of that year, it had a hotel and more than 100 residents. It fell into decline and was eventually abandoned as transportation routes changed and the town became isolated during the 1860s (Mehls 2001:16–17; Wagenbach and Thistlewood 1987:1–2). A detailed discussion of the early community planning and development in Golden is provided under that context. But several key leaders during this period deserve mention: George West, David Wall, William Loveland, and Edward Berthoud. As mentioned earlier, George West was the leader of the Boston Company. He arrived with five other men in what would become Golden to establish a trading post in 1859. The party had initially intended to travel to the gold mines in the mountains,
. . . but something in the appearance of this valley caused its members to entertain the idea that this was the proper site for a city, probably because of its potential future importance with relation to the gold fields above. The wagon train of this company contained a full assortment of various supplies, so it was decided to erect a building and go into business, retailing merchandise both liquid and solid to the passers-through. (Wagenbach and Thistlewood 1987:4) The members of the Boston Company quickly constructed a log trading post to serve nearby settlers and miners. George West also led the Golden City Association (begun in 1859), published a newspaper (which closed after a year), and operated a post office (beginning in 1859) and a freight business (beginning in 1861). He also published the Colorado Transcript, another newspaper, from 1866 to 1894 (Lomond 2009:41). Camp George West, a military base built for the Colorado National Guard, was named in his honor.
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William Austin Hamilton Loveland was another key player in early Golden. Just weeks after George West and the Boston Company had arrived in the area, Loveland arrived to establish a rival mercantile. Competition developed between Loveland and the Boston Company to see which building would be completed first; Loveland won the contest (allegedly by stealing shingles from George West) and became Golden’s first operating merchant. He sold “merchandise comprising groceries, provisions, builders’ and household hardware and, in fact, a general stock of goods suitable for a new camp in a new country” (Wagenbach and Thistlewood 1987:8). In addition to operating a mercantile for many years, Loveland also oversaw the construction of a toll road for wagons up Clear Creek Canyon in 1863, which was later followed by the Colorado Central Railroad (of which he became president in 1876). He served as the mayor of Golden in 1875 and as a territorial senator. Additionally, he was known for donating land to Golden for parks, schools, and for the establishment of several churches. He also helped establish the Denver, Lakewood & Golden Railway that connected Golden and Denver (Lomond 2009:42; Norgren 1995). Edward Lewis Berthoud, another key figure in the early history of Golden, first came to the town in 1860. He had served as a captain in the U.S. Army during the Civil War. Berthoud had a scientific and engineering background and performed a number of important tasks in Golden, including surveying the original town plat, surveying a railroad route up Clear Creek Canyon, and overseeing construction of the route (City of Golden 2011:11). He also “. . . discovered coal near Golden in 1862 and was Golden’s town engineer” (Lomond 2009:42). Additionally, Berthoud played a key role in the establishment of education in Golden.
Berthoud helped establish the Jefferson County education system and served as County Superintendent of Schools. He was an initiating professor and trustee of the Colorado School of Mines and a prolific writer on geology, botany, zoology, paleontology and meteorology (Lomond 2009:42). His influence shaped Golden physically and socially, helping to establish the layout of the town, its industries, and its education system. Finally, David Wall was important as the first commercial farmer in the county. He began farming in 1859. Other farmers quickly joined Wall in his success, and agriculture became one of the chief industries of Golden (City of Golden 2018a:10). The rapid establishment, growth, and abandonment of mining-related communities are very common throughout the West and are reflected in the histories of the mining boom towns in the mountains above Golden. Often, these towns lasted only as long as the ore itself and withered quickly as their residents left for the next mining boom elsewhere. Markets for agricultural products shrank dramatically with the exodus of miners, stifling the development of more permanent settlements with diversified economies. Golden itself is exceptional, though. Although it began as a mining settlement, several unique factors ensured its survival despite the busts of many surrounding communities. Golden was well-situated in terms of transportation routes, which allowed farmers and manufacturers to continue to economically produce and market their products regionally. It enjoyed an abundance of natural resources beyond precious metals (such as clay, coal, and water for agriculture and manufacturing), which made other industries beyond gold mining possible and profitable. And, the early economic diversification of the town beyond precious metal mining into industry, agriculture, mercantile businesses, transportation, and even education all enabled it to survive and thrive.
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PROPERTIES AND POTENTIAL PROPERTY TYPES
Properties and potential property types important to the theme of exploration and settlement in Golden are located both inside and outside city limits (Table 8).
Table 8. Properties and Potential Property Types Associated with Exploration and Settlement
Properties Potential Property Types
Name Historic Designation or Survey Status
Apex No data Buildings Arapahoe City No data Settlement-era businesses or homes Church Ditch Varying eligibilities depending on Objects specific segment Golden History Park Recommended eligible for the NRHP Monuments George West House Contributing to a Historic District and Sites Locally Designated Golden Gate City No data Boston Company trading post Mount Vernon No data Historic archaeological sites Properties associated with David Wall, George No data Structures West, Edward Berthoud, and William Loveland Welch Ditch No data Irrigation systems
GOALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Resources associated with the exploration and settlement of Golden have mostly been lost or are woven into the present fabric of the city. Many of the goals and recommendations for preserving that story and improving its interpretation, understanding, and enjoyment may best be conducted in collaboration with Golden History Museum and Park, where the homestead-era buildings from the Pearce Ranch in Golden Gate Canyon have been relocated and the interpretation of early settlement is concentrated. • Supplement the context through further research on: o Early agriculture o Early gold mining practices o Early trading and commerce o Native American history in the region o The relationships and interactions between early Euro-American miners and settlers and Native American tribes • Identify historically significant examples of exploration and settlement-related properties through further surveys • Designate significant properties on the local level or nominate them to the NRHP as buildings and sites or as a thematically related, non-contiguous historic district through a multiple property submission • Increase public awareness of the exploration and settlement era through methods such as: o Posting informational signs by settlement-era resources
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o Preparing articles or other written materials to post on public websites o Creating interactive public tours or self-guided walking tours focusing on settlement-era sites and buildings throughout the city o Hosting history day competitions for schools • Collaborate with Jefferson County Open Space to protect exploration- and settlement-related sites and structures outside city limits (see Mehls 2001)
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Figure 12. Adolph Coors Brewery, 1890. Courtesy Golden History Museum, City of Golden Collection.
Industry, Engineering, and Invention in Golden, 1859–1968
The theme of industry relates to the technology and process of managing materials, labor, and equipment to produce goods and services. Subthemes include architecture, ethnic heritage, commerce, and transportation. Engineering and invention are also related themes.
Industry is closely related to many other themes, in particular commerce and transportation (Figure 12). Some form of industry, at whatever scale, is almost always a necessary component of commerce and trade within a region. The development of transportation routes and methods (again at varying scales) is also almost always a prerequisite for trade and commerce involving industrial goods. Golden was no exception to this pattern. Golden was an important hub of transportation and trade between Denver and the mines in the mountains since its beginning, but the city’s development was not confined to commerce and the transportation that facilitated that trade. Manufacturing quickly became a key component of the town’s economy, including milling, smelting ore from nearby mines, and electrical generation. In many ways, Golden was perfectly suited to these industrial developments:
Clear Creek provided water for milling, smelting, manufacturing, and generating electricity. Local coal mines supplied early industry and employed many local residents. Early Golden industries also included a cigar factory, candy factory, paper mill, glass plant, three lime kilns, and several stone quarries. (City of Golden 2018a:10)
Many industrial ventures, which often involved innovations in engineering, were in operation by 1880, when the Golden vicinity had “5 smelters, 3 brick works, 6 coal mines, 3 flour mills, 2 breweries, 3 lime kilns, 2 quarries and 1 paper mill” (Golden HPB 2003). This would increase to 22 industrial plants by 1881 (Golden HPB 2003). While many developing communities in the West had manufacturing companies of various kinds, Golden had a particularly large number, many of which were notably successful. While providing a complete list of every industrial enterprise is outside the scope of this context, several important types of businesses will be highlighted.
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The Coors Brewery is unquestionably the best-known manufacturing business in Golden. Because many other sources detail the history of Coors, only a brief summary will be provided here. The Coors Brewery got its start in 1872 when Adolph Kuhrs (later spelled “Coors”) and John Staderman bought a small brewery. The business quickly boomed, and by 1873, Coors had bought out Staderman and partnered with Jacob Schueler to establish the Golden Brewery in a vacant tannery building. In 1880, Coors bought out Schueler and ran the brewery as its sole owner. Local breweries similar to the Coors Brewery were common at the time, but Coors’ business acumen and the expansion of the company meant that it quickly gained statewide importance as a well-known, large-scale operation. Further additions to the brewery business included establishing a bottling works outside of the brewery grounds (due to state law) in 1906, as well as a saloon (City of Golden 2011). In 1913, the Adolph Coors Company was formally incorporated (Golden HPB 2003). In 1916, however, the state of Colorado prohibited alcohol, and as a result, the Coors company subsisted by “making malted milk, near beer, pottery and porcelain” (Golden HPB 2003). After the end of Prohibition, beer production resumed, and today Coors is the largest single- source brewery in the world (City of Golden 2018a:10).
Coors’ porcelain manufacturing business also became significant in its own right during the 1910s and 1920s. During the 1920s, porcelain manufacturing provided employment for former Coors Brewery employees, including many women. The porcelain manufacturing side of Coors’ business was initially known as the Herold China and Pottery Company when it was founded in 1910. In the 1920s, the name was changed to Coors Porcelain. The company is known for many engineering innovations, including manufacturing porcelain insulators used in the Manhattan Project, developing recyclable aluminum beverage cans, and creating the first isostatic-pressed grinding media for use in porcelain manufacture. In 1986, Coors Porcelain became Coors Ceramics, and in 2000, Coors Ceramics changed its name to CoorsTek (CoorsTek 2018).
Mining has been a key aspect of industry in Golden since its founding, both of metal ore in the surrounding mountains and of coal closer to town. The significance of nearby gold mines to the region’s economy has already been discussed extensively in various historic reference documents and therefore will not be addressed further here.
In support of the metal mining that occurred nearby, Golden became a significant smelting center in the region during the 1870s, for which its nearby coal reserves and preexisting transportation system made it particularly well suited. The first smelter, the Golden Smelting Works, opened in 1872. By 1875, gold, lead, and copper were all being smelted in Golden, but by the 1930s smelting had largely ended in the city (Mehls 2001:23–24).
While less well-known, coal mining in and around Golden was also a key factor in its historic function as an industrial and manufacturing center. Two coal mines that were near Clear Creek and close to town are particularly well known: the White Ash Mine and the Loveland Mine. The mines achieved notoriety in 1889 when, at the end of a shift, a wall of rock separating the White Ash Mine from the flooded Loveland Mine collapsed, burying and inundating 10 miners. The New White Ash and Loveland mines were opened to the north of the original mines, but the disaster was the deadliest mine accident in Golden’s history and continues to be remembered (Golden Visitors Bureau 2018).
The region’s natural resources also provided the raw materials for brick manufacture. “Clays and crushed rock have been of enduring economic importance. . . . Clays have been the most long lived vis a vis production and quality and the region” (Mehls 2001:24). Starting in 1877, George Washington Parfet (who was originally a coal miner) began to mine clay for bricks in the Laramie Formation to the west of Golden. Parfet’s mines produced clay particularly well-suited to brick manufacture because of its high kaolin content and the ease with which it vitrified (Zupan and Packard 2004:38–39).
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The Cambria Lime Kiln (established in 1879 and operating until the late 1890s) provided a means to produce lime from the Cambria Company’s limestone quarries near Golden. The lime was used to make bricks and other building products in the Cambria Company’s brick and pottery plant outside of Golden. In 1879, a railroad was built to the quarries and kiln, replacing an earlier wagon road (City of Golden 2011:23). A second brick-making company, the Golden Pressed & Fire Brick Works, was founded in 1890 in the city. The company was known internationally, and its bricks were exported to Japan, China, Mexico, Canada, and South America (Golden Landmarks Association 2018). “Making colored bricks and other innovations catapulted the works from a regional player to internationally” (City of Golden 2011:23). It operated until 1963. In addition, quarrying building stone was also an important industry beginning in the 1920s, and crushed rock and clay were also excavated through the 1950s (Mehls 2001:25). Starting in 1954 after a substantial ore strike northwest of Golden, uranium was also mined at the Swartzwalder Mine (Zupan and Packard 2004:42).
Other industrial enterprises also operated in Golden. Flour mills are a notable example of this. The first, Golden Flouring Mill, was established in 1864 (Golden HPB 2003). A second mill, Rock Flour Mills, was established in 1867 (City of Golden 2011:19). O.F. Barber, the owner of the latter, built a narrow-gauge sidetrack to the mill in 1883 to facilitate the shipping and receiving of flour and grain (Wagenbach and Thistlewood 1987:59). In addition, Golden also had a paper mill, the Golden Paper Mill, which was established in 1867 (Wagenbach and Thistlewood 1987:60).
The establishment of the Lariat Loop, an innovative paved drive established in 1914, represents an impressive engineering feat in of itself. The road was particularly well-designed, despite being an extremely early paved road: “The Lariat Trail of 56 perfectly-banked curves, including seven hair-pins, rising 4.3 miles up from Golden to Lookout Mountain was completed in 1914” (Lomond 2009:18).
Golden has continued its history of innovation and experimentation in manufacturing throughout the twentieth century and to the present. After World War II, the Golden area was the location of the Rocky Flats Plant (also known as the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site). The first construction began in 1951 and continued until 1989. The plant was “originally composed of four widely separated areas, each one performing a different type of work. Plant A (444) fabricated parts from depleted uranium. Plant B (881) recovered enriched uranium and fabricated parts from it. Plant C (771) contained the plutonium operations, and Plant D (991) was the assembly and shipping point” (Powell and Aaron 1995:Section 7, Page 2). Golden is also home to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a federally run laboratory dedicated to advancing “the science and engineering of energy efficiency, sustainable transportation, and renewable power technologies and provid[ing] the knowledge to integrate and optimize energy systems” (National Renewable Energy Laboratory 2018).
Given its history of innovation and easy access to natural resources, its convenient access to transportation networks, and the long presence of renowned technical educational institutions like the Colorado School of Mines, it is understandable why Golden has played such a strong role in regional and even national manufacturing and industry.
PROPERTIES AND POTENTIAL PROPERTY TYPES
Properties important in telling the story of industry, engineering, and invention in Golden are primarily located inside city limits, although some mining properties, ditches, and the Lariat Loop fall outside of those limits (Table 9).
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Table 9. Properties and Potential Property Types Associated with Industry, Engineering, and Invention
Properties Potential Property Types
Name Historic Designation or Survey Status
Astor House NRHP listed, Locally Designated Structure of Buildings Merit Brickyard House No data Breweries Church Ditch Varying eligibilities depending on specific Flour mill segment Clear Creek Tunnels No data Paper mill Coal Mine Memorial No data Smelters Colorado School of Mines No data Worker housing Coors Brewery Recommended not eligible for the NRHP, Locally Districts Designated Structure of Merit Coors Porcelain (Coors Tech) No data Worker housing Golden Quarry/LaFarge Quarry Recommended eligible for the NRHP Mills/industrial sites Goosetown No data Ethnic enclaves/neighborhoods Herman Coors House NRHP listed, Locally Designated Structure of Objects Merit Lariat Loop NRHP listed, Locally Designated Structure of Memorials Merit Loveland Mine No data Statues National Renewable Energy No data Mining equipment Laboratory Welch Ditch Recommended or determined eligible for the Sites NRHP (depending on segment) White Ash Mine Determined not eligible for the NRHP Brickworks Clay pits Gravel pits Placer gold mining sites Gold dredging sites Structures Lime kilns Mines
GOALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The story of industry, engineering, and invention in and around Golden is complex and the resources associated with it are often dispersed. Intact and operating industrial landscapes such as the Coors complex remain while others, particularly those associated with mining and quarrying, are no longer active and are difficult to discern amidst modern development. Goals and recommendations for preserving the story of industry, engineering, and invention in Golden and improving its interpretation, understanding, and enjoyment focus on recognizing these landscapes through further research and designation as historic districts (when resources are concentrated geographically) or through multiple property submissions, by which dispersed but thematically related resources can be linked and nominated to the NRHP.
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• Supplement the context by conducting further research on topics such as: o Ethnic enclaves such as Goosetown and the histories of their residents o Local quarries and mines and the mining methods used • Identify historically significant industry, engineering, and invention-related resources through further survey • Designate significant buildings, sites, objects, and districts on the local level or nominate them to the NRHP. Because of the dispersed nature of industrial operations and the diversity of industrial enterprises, designation may best occur through multiple property submissions. • Increase interpretive and public outreach work through: o Cooperative tours with the Coors Brewery o Free tours of the Colorado School of Mines o Educational tours for school groups at the Colorado School of Mines’ museum
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Figure 13. Jefferson County Courthouse, 1895. Courtesy Golden History Museum, City of Golden Collection.
Politics and Government in Golden, 1859–1968
The theme of politics and government relates to the enactment and administration of laws by which a nation, state, or other political jurisdiction is governed, and also to activities related to the political process. Subthemes include architecture and social history. The Pike’s Peak Gold Rush and the founding of Golden in 1859 predated the establishment of the Colorado Territory. At the time, the area was part of a provisional “Jefferson Territory” established in 1859. The first Jefferson County election occurred in 1860, and 11 voters participated; this election resulted in the selection of Golden as the county seat (Wagenbach and Thistlewood 1987:14). The Colorado Territory, encompassing what is now the state of Colorado, was created by Congress in 1861 (Lomond 2009:17). Almost from the territory’s creation, Golden occupied a place of importance. Although initial calls for the creation of the territory came from Mount Vernon, Colorado, ultimately it was Golden’s founders who succeeded in gaining federal recognition for the town as the territorial capital in 1861, and Golden served as the capital of the Colorado Territory from 1862 to 1867 (Lomond 2009:17–18). At the same time, Golden served as the Jefferson County seat (Figure 13). Associated government buildings such as county offices, courts, and a jail were quickly constructed in 1863 (Lomond 2009:18). As an early hub of mining, industry, transportation, and education within the territory, it is unsurprising that Golden was the initial choice for territorial capital in Colorado. In 1867, Golden ceded its status as territorial capital to Denver, which was quickly growing. This change in the location of the capital was common across the nation in the late eighteenth and nineteenth century as territories and states became established and populations grew. However, Golden did remain the county seat for Jefferson County.
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Although Golden lost the capital to Denver, it remained the Jefferson County seat and built a splendid brick courthouse that shared the hill with the Colorado School of Mines campus. This Victorian beauty was replaced in the 1960s by a boxy beige-brick building with an adjacent five story Hall of Justice. In 1990, Jefferson County began construction on a new courthouse. . . . (City of Golden 2018a:10) In 1871 Golden was formally incorporated, and in 1872 its name was changed from “Golden City” to “Golden” (City of Golden 2018a:10; Golden HPB 2003). In 1876, Colorado was granted statehood and admitted to the United States. The government of Golden continued to serve the populace of the city as it grew over the coming decades. Not all of Golden’s political history is positive. The 1920s were a time of considerable cultural and racial tension throughout America, and Colorado was no exception. One of the ways this manifested was in a resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), a white supremacist organization that had originated in the South during the Reconstruction era following the Civil War but that had largely been suppressed by the 1870s. Prompted in part by the 1915 film The Birth of a Nation, during the 1910s and 1920s, the KKK experienced a resurgence nationally, particularly in the Midwest and in western states. Some members of Colorado’s state government were members of the group in the 1920s (Lay 2016). The resurgence of the KKK was particularly strong in and around Golden. Many histories note the regular and well-known activities of the KKK on South Table Mountain, which may have included burning down the Castle Rock Pavilion that was previously used for recreation and dances. While many locals resented the KKK and its activities, officials did little to resist them for much of the 1920s. By 1928, however, voters had had enough, voting out officials who had previously protected the KKK and ensuring it was suppressed on the local level by law enforcement (Lomond 2009:18). The Great Depression of the 1930s presented a different set of challenges for Golden’s government. As with the rest of the United States, Golden was hit hard by the financial crash and the high unemployment rate that followed it. Federal funds from the Roosevelt administration’s New Deal offered relief to beleaguered Golden residents. The Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) were both important employers in Jefferson County during this era.
During the Great Depression, hundreds of men were employed [in Jefferson County] to develop roads and bridges, plant trees and landscape city parks and federal forests, produce paintings in public buildings, and develop Red Rocks Amphitheatre. (Lomond 2009:31) Not only did these projects offer employment opportunities, they also provided a useful service to the city and county by improving the built and natural environments. The WPA also assisted with establishing the Jefferson County Pioneer Museum, which opened in 1938. The museum closed during World War II and was reopened by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1954 (Zupan and Packard 2004:85). Further development, such as the construction of the city’s first real post office (in 1940) and the paving of West Sixth Avenue to serve an ammunition factory (in 1941), occurred during the World War II era (City of Golden 2011:3; Lomond 2009:19). New patterns emerged in the history of politics in Golden during the Cold War era. One was supporting national defense initiatives: “During the Cold War, JeffCo Commissioners set up Civil Defense headquarters at the Golden Armory in 1951 and apparently approved construction of the Rocky Flats nuclear weapon plant in 1952” (Lomond 2009:19). Significant changes and improvements were made to other aspects of local life and governance in the 1950 and the 1970s: All 39 school districts in JeffCo consolidated into the state’s largest school district in 1950. JeffCo built a new courthouse at 17th and Arapahoe in 1953. . . . JeffCo’s laissez- faire governing tradition began to change when citizens became concerned about extreme growth without future planning. Plan JeffCo volunteers organized a door-to-door
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campaign that gained approval of a one-half cent sales tax to preserve open space in 1972. (Lomond 2009:19) Additionally, during the post–World War II era, a number of new governmental properties were built. These included a new City Hall, police and fire departments, and recreation center, all of which were built in 1961 (Golden HPB 2003). Golden remains the county seat of Jefferson County, Colorado, and a significant regional governmental center.
PROPERTIES AND POTENTIAL PROPERTY TYPES Properties and potential property types important under the theme of politics and government in Golden are located within city limits (Table 10).
Table 10. Properties and Potential Property Types Associated with Politics and Government
Properties Potential Property Types
Name Historic Designation or Survey Status
Ammunition Igloo NRHP listed Buildings Camp George West Historic District NRHP listed County seat City Hall Recommended “Needs Data” Depression-era WPA projects
Colorado National Guard Armory NRHP listed Gold Rush-era buildings Courthouse No data Territorial capital buildings Downtown Station Post Office Determined eligible for the NRHP Homes of prominent political figures Jefferson County Hall of Justice Recommended eligible for the NRHP Structures South Table Mountain Dance Hall No data Depression-era WPA projects (footings) Territorial Capitol Building (Capitol Grill) No data
GOALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS The history of politics and government is distilled in several very public and prominent buildings throughout Golden. Goals and recommendations for preserving this story and improving its interpretation, understanding, and enjoyment focus on expanding the information available on these places and presenting information on other aspects of political and governmental history with less visible resources. • Supplement the context through further research on: o Depression-era WPA projects o The history of the courthouse and the Colorado National Guard Armory • Identify historically significant examples of politics and government-related properties through further survey • Designate significant properties on the local level or nominate them to the NRHP. Because of the dispersed nature of these resources, designation may best occur through a multiple property submission. • Increase public awareness of the history of politics and government in Golden through methods such as: o Tours and field trips for local schools to important government buildings and structures o Informational signs by resources o Interactive public tours o Educational hallway displays in cooperation with building owners
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Figure 14. Cornerstone Day Parade on Washington Avenue with Masons visible, 1913. Courtesy Golden History Museum, City of Golden Collection.
Social History in Golden, 1859–1968
The theme of social history relates to the history of efforts to promote the welfare of a society, the history of society, and the lifeways of its social groups. Subthemes include architecture, ethnic heritage, and religion.
Between 1860 and 2010, Golden’s population grew by more than 18 times, although that growth was not always even (Table 11). In fact, Golden’s population decreased during several periods: between 1860 and 1870, 1880 and 1900, and 1910 and 1920. The population decrease in the decade following the 1860 census, during which almost 75 percent of the population left Golden, was likely due to a combination of factors including the Civil War and the end of the first gold rush in Colorado, although mining continued to a lesser degree around Golden (Mehls 2001:20–21). The decline in population numbers between 1880 and 1900 was much smaller (a 21 percent decrease) and may also have been related to the continuing decline of precious metal mining in the area (Mehls 2001:21). The cause of the 14 percent decrease in the population between 1910 and 1920 is unclear because both mining and agriculture enjoyed a boom caused by World War I (Mehls 2001:21, 37–38).
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Table 11. Golden Population, 1860 to 2010
Year Population (Total)
1860 1,014 1870 587 1880 2,730 1890 2,383 1900 2,152 1910 2,477 1920 2,135 1930 2,426 1940 3,175 1950 5,238 1960 7,118 1970 9,817 1980 12,237 1990 12,914 2000 17,147 2010 18,867
Source: Population (2016) Little information exists about the demographic history of Golden. In 1870, the population of Golden consisted of “484 native and 103 foreign, or 575 white and 12 colored” (Golden HPB 2003; italics in original). As Mehls argues, historical settlement patterns in Golden and surrounding areas differed from many other frontier communities in that different ethnicities did not usually create distinctive or separate areas of settlement, although cultural traditions did play a role to some degree.
There are no ethnic communities with distinctive settlement types or precise boundaries within the GLP [Golden Legacy Project] area. The dynamic nature of land use patterns were, sometimes, related to cultural traditions. . . . In and near the GLP, evidence of cultural tradition in land use patterns exists. Small farms supplying Denver with produce included Jewish dairy farmers in the GLP area. (Mehls 2001:18) However, one notable exception to this was Goosetown, which was a historically German district. The Goosetown district
. . . built up around the rail yards in the 1870s. It was home to mainly blue-collar German families, but also immigrants from Sweden, Poland and England. Historically Goosetown extended farther east with the rail yards at its center. It was an industrial neighborhood with many small frame homes surrounding the rail yards and Golden Smelting Works. Today the west side of the neighborhood remains. (City of Golden 2011:20).
Generally, religion is considered separately from social history, but it will be discussed briefly here. Religion has been an important aspect of Golden’s history since its founding. Despite the rough-and- tumble atmosphere of the mining camp, religion was enmeshed in the social framework of the community: the first religious service was held in a gambling tent in 1859 (Moore 1995). In 1867, Calvary Episcopal Church had opened, and in 1872, the First Presbyterian Church was built (Golden HPB 2003). By 1900, seven churches had been built within Golden, also including the First United Methodist
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Church, the First Baptist Church, and St. Joseph’s Catholic Church (Zupan and Packard 2004:58–61). However, of those churches only two remain, and only Calvary Episcopal is still used for religious services (Moore 1995). The variety of denominations represented in Golden was typical of many western towns, particularly those founded by miners, who often had extremely varied cultural and religious backgrounds. Although buildings related to their history were not identified during research for this report, it is important to note that members of other religions, such as Jews, also participated in the Pikes Peak Gold Rush (Jewish Colorado 2018). In addition to religious groups, several fraternal organizations were active (Figure 14). Fraternal organizations were a common feature in mining towns because they offered a ready source of mutual support and social organization in these very new places. Golden’s assortment is typical in make-up and numbers to other comparable communities in the western states, and included the Woodmen Lodge, the Knights of Pythias, the Freemasons, and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (City of Golden 2011:19; Golden City Lodge No. 1, 2018). Many of these organizations were established during the early period of Golden’s history.
“Secret” organizations in Golden in the 19th century varied from the Masons . . . to the Woodmen of the World, who by 1889 had the largest society in town with over 230 members. . . . Other societies included the Knights of Pythias, the Ancient Order of Foresters, a benevolent German order known as the Sons of Herman, the Fraternal Union of America, the Royal Mystic Tie,he Bankers Union of America. . . . Many of these societies had separate organizations for the women of the members’ families. (Wagenbach and Thistlewood 1987:106) Golden’s Masonic Lodge received its charter in 1860 and was the first chartered lodge in Colorado (Golden City Lodge No. 1, 1999). The Odd Fellows were also established by the 1870s. In some cases, fraternal organizations shared space: Golden’s Odd Fellows Hall was also used by the Freemasons during the 1870s, and the Stewart Block was used by the Knights of Pythias and the Woodmen Lodge in the 1890s (City of Golden 2011:19). Women also actively participated in social organizations and clubs.
The ladies of the town had numerous clubs of their own – the oldest was the Fortnightly Club, founded in 1886, which still meets regularly every two weeks. In fact, this Club is Colorado’s oldest continually existing women’s club. (Wagenbach and Thistlewood 1987:107) The Women’s Christian Temperance Union was also quite active in the city (Wagenbach and Thistlewood 1987:107). The Daughters of the American Revolution founded a chapter in 1923 and conducted many activities to better the city and preserve its history, including installing plaques showing the locations of significant historic properties and reopening the Jefferson County Pioneer Museum in 1954 (Zupan and Packard 2004:66). As noted above, one unpleasant aspect of Golden’s social history was the KKK, which had been present in Golden since the 1890s (City of Golden 2011:19). Likely as a result of the national revival and the presence of high-ranking members in the state government, the KKK became particularly active in Golden during the 1920s (Golden HPB 2003; Lay 2016). The social climate had shifted by the late 1920s, however, and the KKK was suppressed locally and on the national level (Lomond 2009:18).
PROPERTIES AND POTENTIAL PROPERTY TYPES
Properties and potential property types important under the theme of social history in Golden are primarily located inside city limits. Several fall outside the city but are important in telling the complete story (Table 12).
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Table 12. Properties and Potential Property Types Associated with Social History
Properties Potential Property Types
Name Historic Designation or Survey Status
Arthur Lakes paintings (CSM Library) No data Buildings “Buffalo Bill” Cody’s Grave Recommended not eligible for the NRHP Buildings associated with ethnic or racial minority populations (Chinese, Latino, African American, Native American) Calvary Episcopal Church NRHP listed, Locally Designated Buildings associated with sororal and Structure of Merit fraternal organizations/clubs Craig Residence Determined eligible for the NRHP Churches First Presbyterian Church of NRHP listed, Locally Designated Districts Golden/Foothills Art Center Structure of Merit Golden Cemetery (Cemetery Hill, Old NRHP listed, Locally Designated Communities associated with ethnic Catholic Cemetery) Structure of Merit or racial minority populations Golden Opera House Recommended not eligible for the NRHP Communities associated with Euro- American immigrant populations such as Swedes or Germans Golden State Industrial School No data Objects Golden Welcome Arch State Register of Historic Places Listed, Monuments relating to Golden’s Locally Designated Structure of Merit social history Hal Shelton Murals No data Sites Heritage Square Music Hall No data Cemeteries Masonic Temple Recommended eligible for the NRHP Masonic Temple Residence Recommended eligible for the NRHP Miners’ Alley Playhouse No data Queen of Heaven Orphanage NRHP listed Rockland Community Church and NRHP listed Cemetery
GOALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Resources that reflect the social history of Golden are quite varied and geographically dispersed. Further research is needed on many topics, particularly those associated with minorities and underrepresented communities. Goals and recommendations for preserving the story of this theme and improving its interpretation, understanding, and enjoyment are as follows: • Supplement the context through further research on: o Fraternal and sororal organizations o Immigrant and minority populations and their histories within the city o The religious history of Golden o The civil rights–era history of Golden • Identify historically significant examples of social history-related properties through further survey
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• Designate significant buildings and districts on the local level or nominate them to the NRHP. Because of the dispersed nature of some resources, this may be approached through a multiple property submission. • Increase public awareness of social history through methods such as: o Working with local fraternal organizations to create tours of historic buildings and produce informational materials about the histories of the organizations o Hosting history day competitions for schools that emphasize understudied aspects of Golden’s history, such as minority populations, immigrant experiences, and social movements
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Figure 15. Denver and Intermountain Railroad Cars in Golden, 1943. Courtesy Golden History Museum, City of Golden Collection.
Transportation in Golden, 1859–1968
Transportation relates to the process and technology of conveying passengers or materials. Subthemes include architecture, commerce, industry, recreation, and engineering. As with many communities in Colorado and the American West, Golden’s transportation system has undergone massive changes since the community’s founding (Figure 15). Initially, traffic to Golden used a system of trails, many of which were first established by Native Americans (Mehls 2001:27). Transportation using these early routes was often a difficult prospect:
Pioneer wagon teamsters, road builders and railroaders faced many challenges including the topography of the GLP area, the frequent lack of profitable traffic, the boom and bust cycle of mining, and final the need to finance the construction and operation of the roads and railroads. (Mehls 2001:26) After the community was formally established, a series of toll roads built by various pioneers connected it to nearby mining districts, and to Denver and other communities (City of Golden 2018a:10; Jefferson County, Colorado 2018). One example is the old Mount Vernon Toll Road, which was built by Dr. Joseph Castro in 1859 and led from Denver to what is now Bergen Park (Colorado Encyclopedia 2018d; Jefferson County, Colorado 2018). Another was the Apex and Gregory Road, also called the Apex Wagon Road, which ran from Cold Springs Ranch near the town of Apex to Central City which, despite its short length, was host to two wagon companies (Mehls 2001:28). Within the boundaries of the City of Golden, one of the first three residents, John M. Ferrell, was a bridge and road builder who built a toll bridge over Clear Creek in 1859. By 1860, two new timber bridges had been built in Golden to replace the original one (Wagenbach and Thistlewood 1987:3, 18). This bridge is now the “oldest known remaining bridge crossing in the territories which comprise present day Colorado” (City of Golden 2018c).
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Even after these early improvements, using the transportation routes could be a daunting proposition. During the 1860s, for example, conflict between local Native American groups and Euro-American settlers, compounded by a lack of federal troops due to the Civil War, made travel hazardous. Despite that, a wide range of vehicles plied the roads and trails, including “. . . huge freight wagons, small delivery wagons, and passenger vehicles including stage coaches, surreys, buggies, open spring wagons, hand carts, and Conestoga wagons” (Mehls 2001:27–28). Environmental factors, like the frequent flooding experienced by Clear Creek, also often destroyed transportation-related resources, such as bridges, throughout much of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries (City of Golden 2018d, 2018e). The lack of well-developed transportation routes and the difficulties faced by travelers and freighters were common aspects of life on the frontier throughout the West at the time. In 1870 Golden’s transportation system underwent its second period of improvement with the arrival of the railroad. “The Colorado Central Railroad (later the Colorado & Southern) was headquartered here and served Idaho Springs, Georgetown, Central City, and Black Hawk. The railroad hauled supplies to the mining districts and returned with ore to be processed by local smelters” (City of Golden 2018a:10). The Colorado Central Railroad got its start in 1865 as the Colorado & Clear Creek Railroad but underwent several reorganizations before being renamed the Colorado Central Railroad in 1868. Construction started in Denver in 1867, and by September 1870, the line had reached Golden. Further expansion to the north of Golden was financed by the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) in March 1870 but stalled in Longmont as a result of financial problems on the part of UPRR. In 1877, the connection between Longmont and UPRR’s mainline near Cheyenne was completed. In 1885, the Denver Marshall & Boulder Railway (a subsidiary of UPRR) constructed a direct route between Denver and Boulder, making the existing Colorado Central route extraneous; in 1889, a large section of the north part of the line was abandoned (Strack 2015). In the late 1890s, the UPRR experienced financial problems that ultimately forced it into receivership. As a result, the Colorado & Southern Railway was created in December 1898 to take over its operations (American-Rails 2018). Further development occurred throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In the 1890s, interurban rail lines were built connecting Golden and Denver, allowing easy transportation for passengers, particularly for those in the rapidly growing suburbs. Foremost among these was the Denver and Intermountain Railway (a successor firm to the Denver, Lakewood and Golden Railway), which incorporated in 1890 with the support of the local financier W.A.H. Loveland. Due to the Panic of 1893, the line went into receivership in 1896. It was sold in 1902 but resumed operation in 1909 and continued to operate until 1950; it was finally abandoned in 1953 (City of Golden 2018a:10; Mehls 2001:31). The proliferation of various transportation routes, particularly railroads, was common throughout the nation in the late nineteenth century. Following the Civil War and the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in 1869, rail transportation became increasingly important for both travel and shipping. Golden’s transportation development in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries conforms to that pattern. Less ambitious improvements were also made. In 1899, an ordinance was passed by the city “prohibiting donkeys, cows and sheep from running loose in the streets” (Golden HPB 2003). And in 1913, a novel method of local transportation was introduced: a funicular transporting people to Castle Rock. “The ride, which cost 25 cents, [was] in an open car with the descending car pulling up the ascending car. . . . The funicular ran for two years. . . .” (Golden HPB 2003). Beginning in the 1910s, automobile-related development also began in earnest. In 1913, “Cement Bill” Williams built the Lariat Loop trail leading up Lookout Mountain. The Lariat Loop was created to offer automobile access to Denver’s residents so they could enjoy scenic views of the nearby mountains, but it also provided a recreational automobile route for Golden’s citizens (America’s Byways 2018).
The Lariat Trail was the first drive and one of the most difficult constructed in the Mountain Park System. The drive was officially opened in 1913 with early designs by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. The actual survey and final layout was prepared by S.R.
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DeBoer, Denver's noted landscape architect during this time. The original design of the drive was 20 feet in width with no grade more than 6% and no curve sharper than a 50 foot radius. This design was a phenomenal feat since much of the mountainside consists of steep cliffs and 2 to 1 slopes. Practically all of the road, from the entry to the summit of Lookout Mountain, was blasted out of solid rock. (Moss 1988c) In 1922, plans were made to pave Ford Street in Golden, and by 1924, Washington Avenue had also been paved (Golden HPB 2003). These efforts at paving roads reflected the growing importance of automobiles within the city and in America generally. By 1955, automobile traffic had increased so dramatically that there were “. . . parking problems in downtown Golden and traffic congestion on city streets” (Golden HPB 2003). During the 1930s, the WPA also constructed a highway along Clear Creek Canyon (modern Highway 6), which not only served as a transportation route, but also a scenic drive for tourists (City of Golden 2018f). As the twentieth century progressed, additional changes occurred to Golden’s transportation system. In 1931, train service between Golden and Black Hawk, Colorado, was discontinued; in 1939 service to Georgetown, Colorado, was also discontinued (Golden HPB 2003). The rails, which originally ran up Clear Creek Canyon, were removed in 1941 (Holden 2016). The Colorado & Southern Railway continued to operate until 1980 when it went bankrupt and came under ownership of the Burlington Northern Railroad (American-Rails 2018). In the late 1930s, construction of an automobile route (which would become Highway 6) up Clear Creek Canyon began. Highway 6 opened in 1952. Notably, this route included six tunnels bored through the surrounding ridges (Holden 2016). Over the first half of the twentieth century, Denver’s Mountain Parks System was also developed, during which the urban sprawl that had flourished with automobile use was intentionally limited (Mehls 2001:19). Other notable developments were the construction of Interstate 70 to the south of Golden in 1970 and the designation of the Lariat Loop as a National Scenic Byway in 2002 (Lariat Loop Heritage Alliance 2018; Weingroff 2017). PROPERTIES AND POTENTIAL PROPERTY TYPES
Properties and potential property types important under the theme of transportation in Golden are located both inside and outside city limits. Although some fall outside, they are still important in telling the complete story of Golden’s history (Table 13).
Table 13. Properties and Potential Property Types Associated with Transportation
Properties Potential Property Types
Name Historic Designation or Survey Status
Castle Rock Funicular Demolished Buildings Clear Creek Canyon Road (U.S. Recommended eligible for the NRHP Railroad-related buildings Route 6) Colorado Railroad Museum Recommended eligible for the NRHP Other buildings related to transportation Denver and Rio Grande Western NRHP listed Districts Railroad Caboose No. 0578 Lariat Loop/Lookout Mountain NRHP listed, Locally Designated Structure of Concentrations or linear alignments of Road Merit transportation-related resources Lookout Mountain Funicular Demolished Sites
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Properties Potential Property Types
Name Historic Designation or Survey Status
Archaeological sites relating to stagecoaches, other early transit companies, and abandoned transportation routes and engineering works Structures Railroads Early roads Toll roads Denver trams Bridges Retaining walls and other engineering structures
GOALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Transportation improvements often result in modifications to existing infrastructure. As a result, many of the historic resources related to this theme in Golden have been significantly altered or replaced. Transportation resources also tend to be long and linear, crossing through multiple governmental jurisdictions, and as such can best be considered at the landscape level. Because of these factors, goals and recommendations for preserving the story of this theme and improving its understanding and enjoyment focus on further research, the production of written materials, and graphic interpretation using photographs and maps. • Supplement the context through further research on: o The tram system within Golden o Early roads and transportation systems o Networks of transportation o Railroads and railroad-related resources • Identify historically significant examples of transportation-related properties through further surveys • Designate significant buildings and districts on the local level or nominate them to the NRHP • Increasing public awareness of transportation history through methods such as: o Designing driving tours of Golden and nearby areas o Preparing articles or publications on transportation history to post on public websites, with an emphasis on photographic and graphic materials o Partnering with organizations dedicated to preserving important resources such as the Lariat Loop to increase awareness and visitation • Collaborate with Jefferson County Open Space to protect historic transportation sites and structures outside city limits (see Mehls 2001)
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Figure 16. Washington Avenue, 1979. Courtesy Golden History Museum, City of Golden Collection.
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND ENGAGEMENT
Historic preservation is often centered around the benefits it provides to the public, and in fact, public benefit is the legal basis of most historic preservation ordinances. Public involvement and engagement are therefore vital components of any historic preservation effort. A major goal in developing Golden’s historic preservation plan was to actively involve the public by soliciting input about the city’s history and what aspects of that history the city’s residents value the most; and to collect feedback about what public engagement strategies the public most wants to see implemented (Figure 16).
Public Meetings
Two public meetings were convened during the development of the historic preservation plan, the first for history-oriented organizations in and around Golden and the second for the general public. Public Meeting 1: Organizational Outreach
The first public meeting focused on organizational outreach and was convened on Thursday, April 12, 2018. A number of organizations in the area promote the understanding and preservation of history in and around Golden, and the goal of the meeting was to meet with their representatives, discuss the 11 historic themes chosen by the HPB, identify sites and resources associated with those themes, and brainstorm ways to interpret and promote the themes in ways that strengthen ties between Golden and their organizations. Invitations were extended to the following:
• American Mountaineering Museum
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• Buffalo Bill’s Gravesite and Museum • Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum • Colorado State Historical Fund • Colorado Railroad Museum • Dinosaur Ridge • Golden Civic Foundation • Golden Chamber of Commerce • Golden History Museum and Park • Golden Landmarks Society • Golden Library • History Colorado/State Historic Preservation Office • Jefferson County Historical Society • Lookout Mountain Nature Center and Preserve/Boettcher Mansion • Knowledgeable individuals
City staff, members of the HPB, and SWCA’s project leaders hosted the meeting, which was held at the Golden Community Center. Large posters presented each theme and a preliminary list of associated properties. Attendees were asked to discuss the themes and add related properties to the lists. A final poster presented ideas on ways to improve the interpretation, understanding, and enjoyment of these themes in history through collaborative efforts that might build on existing tools or events or be entirely new. Ideas ranged from large to small and included everything from the creation of history-related T- shirts to websites, walking tours, athletic events, and the creation of new historic districts. Attendees were encouraged to write further ideas for collaboration and public engagement on the poster. Follow-up emails soliciting feedback were provided to those organizations that expressed an interest in the preservation plan but were unable to attend the meeting. Public Meeting 2: Public Outreach
The second meeting focused on public outreach and was convened on Monday, September 24, 2018. City staff posted general public announcements of the meeting, which was hosted in the City Planning Office lobby and conference room. The first goal of the meeting was to understand which of the 11 themes or stories were most interesting to the public. The second goals was to identify which ideas for interpretation, education, and enjoyment that the public found most compelling. Attendees were asked to complete a short questionnaire asking which five of the 11 themes they found most interesting and how they would like to learn about and experience the history of Golden related to those themes (Appendix C). Options for the latter were generated from the first meeting and were grouped under five categories: children’s activities, tours, events, informational materials, and resource management.
Posters were also provided for each of the 11 themes, with examples of associated properties drawn from research and the first public meeting. Attendees were encouraged to annotate the posters with thoughts about the property type examples and other possible properties falling under each theme that had not yet been listed.
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Public Meeting Results Public Meeting 1
The first public meeting had approximately 10 to 14 attendees.3 Organizational representatives had many new ideas for collaboration and public engagement. These included: • Scavenger hunt (schools/seasonally) • Rebuild the funicular • Connections with present events through • “En Plein Aire” painting outing articles and activities • Beer runs with stops at historic locations • GPS-led recreational bike route • Social media/Facebook • Brew pubs/pub crawl • Student-led walking tours • Bike rides • Building biographies • Marathons • Sunday column in the local newspaper • Fun runs between sites • Beer/wine/food tour of historic • Free first Saturday (or other day) to visit restaurants or other locations multiple history organizations at no cost
Attendees also added numerous properties and property types associated with the themes. These examples have been incorporated into the “Historic Themes and Contexts” section under the headings of “Properties Associated with This Theme” for specific buildings, structures, or sites located in and around Golden, and under “Potential Properties” for more general ideas about property types. Public Meeting 2
The second public meeting had approximately eight attendees, all of whom provided feedback on the posters and completed the questionnaire (although only six provided feedback on preferences for learning and experiencing history). The results from these questionnaires offer insight into which themes in Golden’s history are most interesting to the public (Table 14) and how the public would most like to engage with that history (Table 15).
Table 14. Results of Public Input on the Most Interesting Themes in Golden’s History
Theme Number of Votes
Agriculture 1 Archaeology 3 Commerce 2 Community Planning and Development 2 Education 2 Entertainment/Recreation/Landscape Architecture/Conservation 5 Exploration/Settlement 3 Industry/Engineering/Invention 6
3 Sign-in sheets were provided, but not all attendees registered.
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Theme Number of Votes
Politics/Government 3 Social History 1 Transportation 2
Table 15. Public Input on the Best Ways of Learning About and Experiencing Golden’s History
Option Number of Votes
Children’s activities Scavenger hunt 1 History Day competition 2 Free days to visit museums or other organizations at no cost 2 Tours GPS-led recreational bike route 2 Student-led walking tours 1 QR Code walking tour 1 Events Pub crawl 1 Marathon 0 Fun runs between sites 1 Existing fair or festival 1 Mural fest 1 Informational Materials Pamphlets 1 Social media 1 Local newspaper column 3 Books or scholarly articles 2 Interpretive signs 2 Website (new or existing) 2 Resource Management Historic district designation 2 Land management code changes 3 Zoning changes 3 Multiple property listing 2 Survey and inventory of resources 2 Local or state historic register listing 2 NRHP listing 2
With six votes, the theme of Industry, Engineering, and Invention was a distinct favorite, followed closely by the theme of Entertainment, Recreation, Landscape Architecture, and Conservation, which received five votes. Three themes received three votes: Archaeology, Paleontology, and Geology; Exploration and
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Settlement; and Politics and Government. Meeting attendance was low, and these results may not accurately reflect the views of the larger public, but the five themes provide a good starting point when planning and prioritizing future preservation activities.
Less consensus was evident about the best ways to understand and experience the history related to these themes. The most popular options (with three votes each) were a local newspaper column about topics in Golden’s history, changes to the land management code, and zoning changes. It should be noted, however, that although respondents indicated their interest in changes to the land management code and zoning, some who selected it as a favored option also indicated their confusion about what it would entail.4 It is therefore possible that respondents’ understanding of code changes does not match the reality of what changes to codes can offer for preservation. In general, resource management as a whole was the preferred method of experiencing Golden’s history, followed by informational materials, children’s activities, tours, and events.
4 For example, one respondent wrote “What does this mean? Stop building? View protection? Restrictions?” on the paper after checking by Land Management Code changes and zoning changes.
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Figure 17. Washington Avenue and the Welcome Arch, 2018.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The 11 contexts presented here illuminate the broad scope of history in Golden and the surrounding area (Figure 17). This plan is intended to serve as a platform from which to begin efforts to increase the preservation of resources related to that history. The first step is to identify important properties through formal survey. Property types may include buildings, structures, objects, sites, and historic districts or cultural landscapes. After identification, preservation efforts should focus on evaluating the historic significance of these properties; acknowledging the importance of significant properties through registration on the local, state, or national level; and using the built environment to educate and engage the public in our collective history.
Although more input is required, results indicate public interest in the following five themes: • Industry, Engineering, and Invention • Entertainment, Recreation, Landscape Architecture, and Conservation • Archaeology, Paleontology, and Geology • Exploration and Settlement • Politics and Government
From a historical perspective, the themes that are most unique to Golden are as follows: • Archaeology, Paleontology, and Geology • Education
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• Entertainment, Recreation, Landscape Architecture, and Conservation • Exploration and Settlement • Industry, Engineering, and Invention
These two lists correlate well and form a good starting point for future preservation efforts. To ensure that these efforts are inclusive, emphasis on the theme of Social History is also recommended, in particular as it relates to the experiences of minority and underrepresented communities in Golden. All the themes are reasonably well-represented in existing lists of historic resources, particularly Industry, Engineering, and Invention and Entertainment, Recreation, Landscape Architecture, and Conservation. To ensure that preservation efforts acknowledge the temporal scope of many themes, however, any future research, survey, and interpretation efforts should incorporate the City’s post–World War II history when appropriate.
Prioritized Recommendations
Each of the 11 context sections concludes with specific recommendations for identification, evaluation, registration, and treatment of historic resources (an action that includes education and interpretation) that will improve the understanding and enjoyment of Golden’s stories. In general, the recommendations presented in those sections represent traditional approaches to preservation. More general recommendations are presented in this section, which can be widely applied and (based on public meetings and engagement) are of particular interest to the public. The following more generalized recommendations, listed in order of priority, apply to all future preservation efforts regardless of which contexts are pursued. 1. If desired, conduct additional public outreach through meetings, online polls, or other strategies to achieve greater consensus about which contexts are of most immediate interest to the community. Outreach efforts should target a wide demographic that includes people of all ages and backgrounds. 2. Conduct a professional survey of resources related to one or more contexts to ensure clear and comprehensive inventory. Resources may include buildings, structures, objects, sites, and historic districts or cultural landscapes. 3. Conduct a professional evaluation of the resources identified during the survey to determine which are historically significant and important in illustrating one or more themes. 4. Recognize the importance of these resources by listing them on a historic register at the local, state, and/or national level. The type of designation (whether an individual listing, historic district, or an umbrella-type multiple property submission) will depend on the density and spatial distribution of the resources. For example, the theme of commerce is most logically recognized by creating a historic district centered on Washington Avenue. The theme of industry, engineering, and invention is most logically recognized through the preparation of an NRHP multiple property submission under which diverse and dispersed resources can be listed. 5. Design treatments that promote preservation and public awareness. The selection of a treatment will vary depending on the type, quantity, and geographic location of resources identified during survey. In order of importance and public preference, treatments fall under the broad categories of resource management, informational materials, tours and activities, and events. a. Resource management includes actions such as listing important resources on registers, ensuring that preservation goals are supported consistently through the land management code and zoning ordinances, and that comprehensive or master plans for neighborhoods and the city are also aligned with preservation. Because this is a city-sponsored
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preservation plan, resource management treatments may be relatively simple to achieve, and preliminary public input indicates that these actions are well-supported. b. Informational materials range in scope from newspaper columns or articles to a history blog, traditional hallway displays in historic buildings, interpretive signage, and pamphlets for walking, cycling, or driving tours. As a first step, the simplest and most accessible method of providing historical information may be through an existing or new website. For example, the city might expand its website to include a history section with links to written material like the contexts presented here, walking tour pamphlets, historic photographs, and so forth. Alternatively, the city might collaborate with the Golden History Museum and Park to host this information on the museum’s website. c. Tours and activities include self-guided or hosted walking, cycling, or driving tours, as well as regularly scheduled activities such as History (or Prehistory) Day competitions at local schools and “locals free” days at area museums and attractions. d. Events can be widely varied and include everything from historically themed pub crawls or dine-arounds to festivals and athletic competitions. In order to track the representation of themes in Golden’s preservation efforts, the City Planning Department may also wish to consider procedural measures such as updating the Certificate of Appropriateness for proposed projects to include information on the historic theme or themes associated with the property.
It should be noted that not all historic properties in Golden are significant or worthy of preservation, nor can all historic properties be preserved while accommodating modern development and growth. Professional significance evaluations should form a part of any future surveys and the city may also want to develop criteria to identify which properties are truly significant and worthy of preservation at the local level. These can be based on federal guidance such as that contained in the NRHP bulletin How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation (National Park Service 1995). Collaboration
Establishing stronger relationships with the many entities that promote the understanding and preservation of the city’s history was a goal for the preservation plan. Other organizations expressed interest in and support for the plan, but forging solid relationships is difficult without a clear course of action. As treatments are designed for theme-related historic resources, opportunities to collaborate will arise. Partners may vary depending on the themes addressed or treatments selected but will likely include Golden History Museum and Park, Jefferson County Historical Society, Colorado School of Mines, Denver Mountain Parks, and Dinosaur Ridge. Integration in the Broader Planning Process
The preservation efforts and activities described above will further the goals and values outlined in the City of Golden Comprehensive Plan. Of most relevance are the following Value Themes and Goals: • Value Theme B, Goal 1: We will protect the natural beauty of Golden, located in a valley bounded by the foothills and two scenic mesas. (City of Golden 2017:8) • Value Theme C, Goal 2: Our city will have clean, well-maintained neighborhoods and streets. (City of Golden 2017:12) • Value Theme D, Goal 1:
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We believe that it is important to maintain an environment which encourages a variety of quality and locally owned businesses and restaurants so that residents of Golden can purchase locally while continuing to encourage visitors to visit Golden and support our local businesses. (City of Golden 2017:13) • Value Theme D, Goal 3: We value the character of downtown (its size and varied architecture). Therefore, it is important to preserve, enhance and complement the historic buildings downtown with both public and private investments. The streetscape, walkability, and accessibility are critical in this effort. (City of Golden 2017:13) • Value Theme F, Goal 2: We value a kid friendly environment, with family activities and events both indoors and outdoors. (City of Golden 2017:17) • Value Theme F, Goal 3: We value community organizations/collaboration between public and private groups to allow for preservation of our historical and cultural assets, while providing continuity with the future. (City of Golden 2017:16) • Value Theme H, Goal 1: We value having friendly and welcoming neighbors that create helpful, caring and respectful neighborhoods. (City of Golden 2017:18) • Value Theme H, Goal 2: We value being a connected Golden community through events, parks, local merchants, organizations, schools, government, trails and Clear Creek. (City of Golden 2017:19) As relevant, the conclusions and recommendations of this report should be incorporated into future city plans designed to manage Golden’s future and sustain a high quality of life for all its residents.
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American-Rails 2018 Colorado and Southern Railway. Available at: https://www.american-rails.com/colorado-and- southern-railway.html. Accessed October 8, 2018.
America’s Byways 2018 Lariat Loop Scenic and Historic Byway. America’s Byways, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. Available at: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/byways/byways/49776. Accessed October 8, 2018.
Asylum Projects 2018 Colorado State Industrial School for Boys. Available at: http://www.asylumprojects.org/index.php/Colorado_State_Industrial_School_for_Boys. Accessed October 9, 2018.
City of Golden 2011 The Tour of Historic Golden. Available at: https://www.cityofgolden.net/media/pdf_288.pdf. Accessed October 8, 2018.
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2018a Historic District Residential Design Guidelines. Available at: https://www.cityofgolden.net/media/HistDistGuideBook.pdf. Accessed October 8, 2018.
2018b Tourism. Informational sign published by City of Golden. Accessed in 2018.
2018c Founder of the Avenue Crossing. Informational sign published by City of Golden. Accessed in 2018.
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2018e Fearsome Floods. Informational sign published by City of Golden. Accessed in 2018.
2018f Recent History of Clear Creek. Informational sign published by City of Golden. Accessed in 2018.
Chenault, Mark L. 1999 Paleoindian Stage, pp. 51–90. In Colorado Prehistory: A Context for the Platte River Basin. Tate and Associates, Inc. and SWCA Environmental Consultants. Published by Colorado Council of Professional Archaeologists, Denver.
Clark, Bonnie 1999 The Protohistoric Period, pp. 309–335. In Colorado Prehistory: A Context for the Platte River Basin. Tate and Associates, Inc. and SWCA Environmental Consultants. Published by Colorado Council of Professional Archaeologists, Denver.
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Colorado Encyclopedia 2018a Colorado Gold Rush. Colorado Encyclopedia. Available at: https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/colorado-gold-rush. Accessed October 17, 2018.
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Gabriel, J. 2012 Colorado Cultural Resource Survey Management Data Form: 5JF250.13. ERO Resources Corporation, Denver.
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Gilmore, Kevin P. 1999 Late Prehistoric Stage (A.D. 150–1540), pp. 175–307. In Colorado Prehistory: A Context for the Platte River Basin. Tate and Associates, Inc. and SWCA Environmental Consultants. Published by Colorado Council of Professional Archaeologists, Denver.
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Golden City Lodge No. 1 1999 Tour Golden’s Masonic Heritage. Available at: http://www.goldencitylodge1.org/MasonicMaterials/masonictourpamphlet.pdf. Accessed October 11, 2018.
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Hanson, Charles D. 2001 Barnes-Peery Residence National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. Lakewood, Colorado.
History Colorado 2018a Colorado GLG Ordinance Comparison. Available at: https://www.historycolorado.org/certified-local-government-contact-information-guidance- materials. Accessed October 25, 2018.
2018b Denver Mountain Parks. Available at: https://www.historycolorado.org/denver-mountain- parks. Accessed December 21, 2018.
Holden, Gregory S. 2016 “Clear Creek Canyon.” Colorado Encyclopedia. Available at: https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/clear-creek-canyon. Accessed October 8, 2018.
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Jefferson County, Colorado 2018 Early Transportation. Available at: https://www.jeffco.us/1992/Early-Transportation. Accessed October 8, 2018.
Jefferson County Historical Commission 2001 A Postcard Adventure Along the Lariat Loop. Historically JeffCo 14(22):32-35.
Jenkins, John W. 1996 Golden High School National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. Colorado Frontier Research, Golden, Colorado.
Jewish Colorado 2018 History. Available at: https://www.jewishcolorado.org/about-us/history/. Accessed December 19, 2018.
Lariat Loop Heritage Alliance 2018 Lariat Loop Heritage Alliance Timeline. Available at: https://www.lariatloop.org/about- lariat-loop/lariat-loop-history/. Accessed October 8, 2018.
Lay, Shawn 2016 Ku Klux Klan in the Twentieth Century. New Georgia Encyclopedia. Available at: https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/ku-klux-klan-twentieth- century. Accessed December 19, 2018.
Lomond, Carole 2009 Jefferson County, Colorado: A Unique and Eventful History!. Views Publishing Company, Golden, Colorado.
Mehls, Steven F. 2001 Cultural Landscape Survey of the Golden Legacy Project, Jefferson County, Colorado. For the City of Golden Survey Report. Western Historical Studies, Inc., Lafayette, Colorado.
Moore, Carolyn Ann 1995 Calvary Episcopal Church National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. HLW, Lakewood, Colorado. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.
Morrison Historical Society 2018 Rev. Arthur Lakes. Available at: https://morrisonhistory.org/people/rev-arthur-lakes/. Accessed October 17, 2018.
Moss, Ann 1988a Lookout Mountain Park National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. Shapins/Moss, Inc., Boulder, Colorado.
1988b Colorow Point Park National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. Sapins/Moss, Inc., Boulder, Colorado.
1988c Lariat Trail Scenic Mountain Drive National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. Shapins/Moss, Inc., Boulder, Colorado.
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National Park Service (NPS) 1975 Rooney Ranch National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. Copy available with Colorado State Historical Society, Denver, Colorado.
1995 How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. Available at: https://www.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb15/. Accessed December 20, 2018.
1997 National Register Bulletin: How to Complete the National Register Registration Form. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.
2001 Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Preservation Planning. Available at: https://www.nps.gov/history/local-law/arch_stnds_1.htm. Accessed October 25, 2018.
2017 What is Historic Preservation? Available at: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/historicpreservation/what-is-historic-preservation.htm. Accessed October 25, 2018.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory 2018 Mission and Programs. Available at: https://www.nrel.gov/about/mission-programs.html. Accessed October 8, 2018.
Norgren, Barbara 1995 Loveland Building/Coors Building National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. Denver, Colorado.
Population 2016 Population of Golden, CO. Available at: https://population.us/co/golden/. Accessed October 10, 2018.
Powell, Patricia, and Jayne Aaron 1995 Rocky Flats Plant National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. Department of Energy and Science Applications International Corporation, Golden, Colorado.
Reed, Dorothy L. 1995 Thiede Ranch National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. Copy available from National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
Shuck, Anna 1982 Twelfth Street Historic Residential District. Committee for Historic Golden, Golden, Colorado.
Simmons, Beth, and Katherine Honda 2018 Arthur Lakes. Colorado Encyclopedia. Available at: https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/arthur-lakes. Accessed October 17, 2018.
Strack, Don 2015 Colorado Central Railroad. Available at: http://utahrails.net/up/colorado-central.php. Accessed October 8, 2018.
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Tate, Marcia J. 1999 Archaic Stage, pp. 91–173. In Colorado Prehistory: A Context for the Platte River Basin. Tate and Associates, Inc. and SWCA Environmental Consultants. Published by Colorado Council of Professional Archaeologists, Denver.
U.S. Census Bureau 2018 QuickFacts: Golden City, Colorado. Available at: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/goldencitycolorado. Accessed November 12, 2018.
U.S. Geological Survey 1939 Golden, Colorado. 1:24,000 scale. U.S. Geological Survey, Washington, D.C.
1957 Golden, Colorado. 1:24,000 scale. U.S. Geological Survey, Washington, D.C.
1965 Golden, Colorado. 1:24,000 scale. U.S. Geological Survey, Washington, D.C.
Van Ness, Meg 2018 The Early People of Where the Mountains Meet the Plains: the Prehistory of Jefferson County, Colorado. Available at: http://www.tablemountains.org/Pages/Activities/052601/vanness/earlyhistory.htm. Accessed December 19, 2018.
Wagenbach, Lorraine, and Jo Ann Thistlewood 1987 Golden: the 19th Century. Harbinger House, Littleton, Colorado.
Warner, Sam Bass, Jr. 1978 Streetcar Suburbs: The Process of Growth in Boston (1870-1900). Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.
Weingroff, Richard 2017 Why Does I-70 End in Cove Fort, Utah? Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. Available at: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/covefort.cfm. Accessed October 8, 2018.
Zupan, Michelle L., and Elinor E. Packard 2004 The Changing Face of Golden. Golden Pioneer Museum. Donning Company Publishers, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
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APPENDIX A
Preliminary List of Historic Properties in Golden and their Associated Themes and Historic Designation or Survey Status
Table A-1. Preliminary List of Historic Properties in Golden and their Associated Themes and Historic Designation or Survey Status
Property Associated Theme Historic Designation or Survey Status
8th and 9th Street Historic District Community Planning and Development Local Historic District 12th Street Historic District Community Planning and Development National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) listed; Local Historic District Allen Farmhouse/Hartzell-Allen Residence Agriculture Recommended eligible for the NRHP Ammunition Igloo Politics and Government NRHP listed Apex Exploration and Settlement No data Arapahoe City Exploration and Settlement No data Arthur Lakes Library (Colorado School of Education Determined eligible for the NRHP Mines) Arthur Lakes paintings (CSM Library) Social History No data Aspen Lee (Heritage Square) Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape Recommended eligible for the NRHP Architecture/Conservation Astor House Commerce, Industry/Engineering/Invention NRHP listed, Locally Designated Structure of Merit Bank of the West/Golden Savings and Loan Commerce Recommended eligible for the NRHP Barber’s Addition Community Planning and Development No data Barnes-Peery House Community Planning and Development NRHP listed, Locally Designated Structure of Merit Beaver Brook Trail Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape No data Architecture/Conservation Ben H. Parker House Residential Recommended eligible for the NRHP Berthoud Hall (Colorado School of Mines) Education Determined eligible for the NRHP Boettcher Mansion Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape No data Architecture/Conservation Brickyard House Industry/Engineering/Invention No data “Buffalo Bill” Cody’s Grave Social History Recommended not eligible for the NRHP Calvary Episcopal Church Social History NRHP listed, Locally Designated Structure of Merit Calvary Post (Heritage Square/Magic Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape Recommended eligible for the NRHP Mountain) Architecture/Conservation Camp George West Historic District Politics and Government NRHP listed Castle Rock Dance Hall Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape Demolished Architecture/Conservation
A-1 Property Associated Theme Historic Designation or Survey Status
Castle Rock Funicular Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape Demolished Architecture/Conservation, Transportation Central Grade School Education Determined eligible for the NRHP Chauvenet Hall (Colorado School of Mines) Education Determined eligible for the NRHP Chimney Gulch Archaeology/Paleontology/Geology No data Church Ditch Exploration and Settlement, Varying eligibilities depending on specific segment Industry/Engineering/Invention City Hall Politics and Government Recommended “Needs Data” City Park Heights Community Planning and Development No data Clear Creek Canyon Road (U.S. Route 6) Transportation Recommended eligible for the NRHP Clear Creek History Park/Golden History Agriculture, Exploration and Settlement Recommended eligible for the NRHP Park Clear Creek Tunnels Industry/Engineering/Invention No data Coal Mine Memorial Industry/Engineering/Invention No data Colorado National Guard Armory Politics and Government NRHP listed Colorado Railroad Museum Transportation Recommended eligible for the NRHP Colorado School of Mines campus Education, Industry/Engineering/Invention No data Colorado School of Mines (Geology Archaeology/Paleontology/Geology Determined eligible for the NRHP/Recommended “Needs Data” (depending on Museum, Geology Trail, USGS Earthquake building) Center) Colorado School of Mines’ “M” Education No data Colorow Point Park Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape NRHP listed Architecture/Conservation Coolbaugh House/CSM University Club Residential Determined eligible for the NRHP, Locally Designated Structure of Merit Coors Brewery Industry/Engineering/Invention Recommended not eligible for the NRHP, Locally Designated Structure of Merit Coors Porcelain (Coors Tech Industry/Engineering/Invention No data Courthouse Politics and Government No data Craig Residence Social History Determined eligible for the NRHP Davidson Residence Residential Determined eligible for the NRHP, Locally Designated Structure of Merit Davis/Roberts Residence/Herron House Residential Recommended eligible for the NRHP, Locally Designated Structure of Merit
A-2 Property Associated Theme Historic Designation or Survey Status
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Transportation NRHP listed Caboose No. 0578 Denver Mountain Parks (Lookout Mountain Community Planning and Development No data Park and Drive) Dinosaur Ride Building (Heritage Square) Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape Recommended eligible for the NRHP Architecture/Conservation Dinosaur Ridge (Crocodile Creek) Archaeology/Paleontology/Geology, No data Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape Architecture/Conservation Dollison House/Maltese Apartments Residential Recommended eligible for the NRHP Downtown Station Post Office Community Planning and Development, Politics Determined eligible for the NRHP and Government East Street Historic District Community Planning and Development Local Historic District Elizabeth Roak Residence, Palmer-Hill Residential Recommended eligible for the NRHP, Locally Designated Structure of Merit Residence Ellis/Carpenter Residence Residential Determined eligible for the NRHP, Contributing to a Historic District and Locally Designated Farmer’s Highline Canal and Reservoir Agriculture Determined eligible for the NRHP Company First Presbyterian Church of Social History, Entertainment and NRHP listed, Locally Designated Structure of Merit Golden/Foothills Art Center Recreation/Landscape Architecture/Conservation First National Bank in Golden/Wells Fargo Commerce Recommended eligible for the NRHP Bank Forest River Ride Restroom Building Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape Recommended eligible for the NRHP (Heritage Square) Architecture/Conservation Forest River Ride Auxiliary Building Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape Recommended eligible for the NRHP (Heritage Square) Architecture/Conservation Fred Robinson House Residential Recommended eligible for the NRHP, Contributing to a Historic District and Locally Designated Garbarino Cottage Residential Recommended eligible for the NRHP Gasthaus/Alter Biergarten (Heritage Square) Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape Recommended eligible for the NRHP Architecture/Conservation Gayton House/Scarbo House Residential Recommended eligible for the NRHP George West House Exploration and Settlement Contributing to a Historic District and Locally Designated
A-3 Property Associated Theme Historic Designation or Survey Status
Goldcrest Heights Community Planning and Development No data Golden Bowl Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape Recommended eligible for the NRHP, Recommended as Locally Designated Architecture/Conservation Structure of Merit Golden Cemetery (Cemetery Hill, Old Community Planning and Development, Social NRHP listed, Locally Designated Structure of Merit Catholic Cemetery) History Golden City and Arapahoe Ditch Agriculture No data Golden Donkey (Heritage Square) Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape Recommended eligible for the NRHP Architecture/Conservation Golden Gate City Exploration and Settlement No data Golden High School Education NRHP listed, Locally Designated Structure of Merit Golden High School “G” on South Table Education No data Mountain Golden Liquors/Bob’s Atomic Burger Commerce Recommended eligible for the NRHP Golden Opera House Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape Recommended not eligible for the NRHP Architecture/Conservation, Social History Golden Park Addition Community Planning and Development No data Golden Quarry/LaFarge Quarry Industry/Engineering/Invention Recommended eligible for the NRHP Golden State Industrial School Education, Social History No data Golden Tourist Park Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape Recommended eligible for the NRHP, Locally Designated Structure of Merit Architecture/Conservation Golden Welcome Arch Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape State Register of Historic Places Listed, Locally Designated Structure of Merit Architecture/Conservation, Social History Goosetown Industry/Engineering/Invention No data Greene Residence Residential Determined eligible for the NRHP, Contributing to a Historic District and Locally Designated Guggenheim Hall (Colorado School of Education Determined eligible for the NRHP Mines) Guy Hill School Education Recommended eligible for the NRHP, Locally Designated Structure of Merit Hall of Engineering (Colorado School of Education Determined eligible for the NRHP Mines) Hal Shelton Murals Social History No data Harry D. Campbell Field (Colorado School of Education Recommended eligible for the NRHP Mines)
A-4 Property Associated Theme Historic Designation or Survey Status
Heritage Square Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape Recommended eligible for the NRHP Architecture/Conservation Heritage Square Music Hall Social History No data Herman Coors House Industry/Engineering/Invention NRHP listed, Locally Designated Structure of Merit Herman Fleck House Residential Recommended eligible for the NRHP Inspiration Tree/Chief Colorow Tree Archaeology/Paleontology/Geology No data (Smithsonian No. 5JF806) Jefferson County Hall of Justice Politics and Government Recommended eligible for the NRHP John Collum Duplex Residential Recommended eligible for the NRHP, Contributing to a Historic District and Locally Designated Kelly Mansion Residential Recommended eligible for the NRHP, Contributing to a Historic District and Locally Designated Kinney’s Addition Community Planning and Development No data Lariat Loop Industry/Engineering/Invention, Entertainment NRHP listed, Locally Designated Structure of Merit and Recreation/Landscape Architecture/Conservation, Transportation Lookout Mountain Funicular Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape Demolished Architecture/Conservation, Transportation Lookout Mountain Park Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape NRHP listed Architecture/Conservation Lookout Mountain School for Boys Education Determined eligible for the NRHP Lorraine Lodge Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape NRHP listed Architecture/Conservation Loveland Building Commerce NRHP listed, Locally Designated Structure of Merit Loveland Mine Industry/Engineering/Invention No data Maas Residence/Coors House Residential Recommended eligible for the NRHP Maas Residence/Anderson House Residential Recommended eligible for the NRHP Magic Mountain Site Archaeology/Paleontology/Geology NRHP listed Magic Mountain Railroad Depot Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape Recommended eligible for the NRHP Architecture/Conservation Martin Residence/Jaycox House Residential Recommended eligible for the NRHP, Contributing to a Historic District and Locally Designated Masonic Temple Social History Recommended eligible for the NRHP
A-5 Property Associated Theme Historic Designation or Survey Status
Masonic Temple Residence Social History Recommended eligible for the NRHP Miller House/Kaberline Residence Residential Recommended eligible for the NRHP Mineral Land Company Addition Community Planning and Development No data Miners’ Alley Playhouse Social History No data Morrison Museum of Natural History Archaeology/Paleontology/Geology No data Mount Vernon Exploration and Settlement No data Nankivell & Jones Building/E. E. Stewart Commerce Determined eligible for the NRHP, Locally Designated Structure of Merit Block National Earthquake Center Archaeology/Paleontology/Geology No data National Renewable Energy Laboratory Industry/Engineering/Invention No data North and South Table Mountains Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape No data Architecture/Conservation O’Byrne Residence Residential Determined eligible for the NRHP, Contributing to a Historic District and Locally Designated Olson Residence/Moss/Walcott Residence Residential Recommended eligible for the NRHP, Contributing to a Historic District and Locally Designated Oscar Barber House/Montessori School of Residential State Register of Historic Places Listed Golden Pahaska Teepee Commerce No data Peaks to Plains Trail Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape Not of historic age Architecture/Conservation Philp [sic] & Co. Drugstore (Heritage Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape Recommended eligible for the NRHP Square) Architecture/Conservation Properties associated with David Wall, Exploration and Settlement No data George West, Edward Berthoud, and William Loveland Quaintance Block Commerce NRHP listed Queen of Heaven Orphanage Education, Social History NRHP listed Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape NRHP listed; National Historic Landmark Architecture/Conservation Richard Broad House Commerce Determined eligible for the NRHP, Locally Designated Structure of Merit Rockland Community Church and Cemetery Social History NRHP listed
A-6 Property Associated Theme Historic Designation or Survey Status
Rockwell Mine Archaeology/Paleontology/Geology No data Rooney Ranch Agriculture NRHP listed Rubey Clay Mine Archaeology/Paleontology/Geology No data R.W. Maddox House Residential Recommended eligible for the NRHP, Contributing to a Historic District and Locally Designated Samuel and Albina Romano House Residential NRHP listed Samuel Ellis Residence Residential Determined eligible for the NRHP, Contributing to a Historic District and Locally Designated Sarsaparilla Saloon (Heritage Square) Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape Recommended eligible for the NRHP Architecture/Conservation Sigma Nu Fraternity House* Education Recommended not eligible for the NRHP, Recommended eligible for the NRHP Snack Bar/Fort Tower (Heritage Square) Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape Recommended eligible for the NRHP Architecture/Conservation Snack Bar/Fort Notz (Heritage Square) Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape Recommended eligible for the NRHP Architecture/Conservation South Table Mountain Dance Hall (footings) Politics and Government No data Stables Residence Residential Determined eligible for the NRHP Steinhauer Field House (Colorado School of Education Determined eligible for the NRHP Mines) Stockade/Shooting Gallery (Heritage Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape Recommended eligible for the NRHP Square) Architecture/Conservation Stratton Hall (Colorado School of Mines) Education Determined eligible for the NRHP Table Mountain Archaeology/Paleontology/Geology No data Territorial Capitol Building (Capitol Grill) Politics and Government No data Thiede Ranch Agriculture NRHP listed Thomas Gow House Residential Recommended eligible for the NRHP, Contributing to a Historic District and Locally Designated Trading Post (Heritage Square) Entertainment and Recreation/Landscape Recommended eligible for the NRHP Architecture/Conservation Triceratops Trail Archaeology/Paleontology/Geology Determined not eligible for the NRHP Van Tuyl House/Fleck House Residential Recommended eligible for the NRHP Wannemaker Ditch Agriculture No data
A-7 Property Associated Theme Historic Designation or Survey Status
Washington Avenue Historic District Commerce Recommended not eligible for the NRHP Welch Ditch Exploration and Settlement, Recommended or Determined eligible for the NRHP (depending on segment) Industry/Engineering/Invention Welch’s Addition Community Planning and Development No data White Ash Mine Industry/Engineering/Invention Determined not eligible for the NRHP Williams Residence/Sally Martin Lewis Residential Recommended eligible for the NRHP Residence Wilson/White Residence/Hutchinson Residential Recommended eligible for the NRHP Residence
* Colorado COMPASS database notes that this resource is ineligible while the City of Golden database notes it is eligible.
A-8
APPENDIX B
Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Preservation Planning
Links to NPS ... d A Cultural Resource Subject
ARCHEOLOGY AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION:
Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines [As Amended and Annotated]
.Contents Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Standards & Guidelines for:. Preservation Planning Introduction Preservation Planning Preservation planning is a process that organizes preservation Standards activities (identification, evaluation, registration and treatment of Guidelines historic properties) in a logical sequence. The Standards for Planning Technical Information discuss the relationship among these activities while the remaining activity standards consider how each activity should be carried out. Identification The Professional Qualifications Standards discuss the education and experience required to carry out various activities. Evaluation Registration The Standards for Planning outline a process that determines when an area should be examined for historic properties, whether an Note on Documentation and identified property is significant, and how a significant property should Treatment of Hist. Properties be treated. Historical Documentation Preservation planning is based on the following principles: Architectural and Engineering Documentation Important historic properties cannot be replaced if they are Archeological Documentation destroyed. Preservation planning provides for conservative use of these properties, preserving them in place and avoiding Historic Preservation Projects harm when possible and altering or destroying properties only when necessary. Qualification Standards Preservation Terminology If planning for the preservation of historic properties is to have positive effects, it must begin before the identification of all print significant properties has been completed. To make responsible decisions about historic properties, existing information must be used to the maximum extent and new information must be acquired as needed.
Preservation planning includes public participation. The planning process should provided a forum for open discussion of preservation issues. Public involvement is most meaningful when it is used to assist in defining values of properties and preservation planning issues, rather than when it is limited to review of decisions already made. Early and continuing public participation is essential to the broad acceptance of preservation planning decisions.
Preservation planning can occur at several levels or scales: in a project area; in a community; in a State as a whole; or in the scattered or contiguous landholdings of a Federal agency. Depending on the scale, the planning process will involve different segments of the public and professional communities and the resulting plans will vary in detail. For example, a State preservation plan will likely have more general recommendations than a plan for a project area or a community. The planning process described in these Standards is flexible enough to be used at all levels while providing a common structure which promotes coordination and minimizes duplication of effort. The Guidelines for Preservation Planning contain additional information about how to integrate various levels of planning. Standard I. Preservation Planning Establishes Historic Contexts
Decisions about the identification, evaluation, registration and treatment of historic properties are most reliably made when the relationship of individual properties to other similar properties is understood. Information about historic properties representing aspects of history, architecture, archeology, engineering and culture must be collected and organized to define these relationships. This organizational framework is called a "historic context." The historic context organizes information based on a cultural theme and its geographical and chronological limits. Contexts describe the significant broad patterns of development in an area that may be represented by historic properties. The development of historic contexts is the foundation for decisions about identification, evaluation, registration and treatment of historic properties.
Standard II. Preservation Planning Uses Historic Contexts To Develop Goals and Priorities for the Identification, Evaluation, Registration and Treatment of Historic Properties
A series of preservation goals is systematically developed for each historic context to ensure that the range of properties representing the important aspects of each historic context is identified, evaluated and treated. Then priorities are set for all goals identified for each historic context. The goals with assigned priorities established for each historic context are integrated to produce a comprehensive and consistent set of goals and priorities for all historic contexts in the geographical area of a planning effort.
The goals for each historic context may change as new information becomes available. The overall set of goals and priorities are then altered in response to the changes in the goals and priorities for the individual historic contexts.
Activities undertaken to meet the goals must be designed to deliver a usable product within a reasonable period of time. The scope of the activity must be defined so the work can be completed with available budgeted program resources.
Standard III. The Results of Preservation Planning Are Made Available for Integration Into Broader Planning Processes
Preservation of historic properties is one element of larger planning processes. Planning results, including goals and priorities, information about historic properties, and any planning documents, must be transmitted in a usable form to those responsible for other planning activities. Federally mandated historic preservation planning is most successfully integrated into project management planning at an early stage. Elsewhere, this integration is achieved by making the results of preservation planning available to other governmental planning bodies and to private interests whose activities affect historic properties.
Top
Secretary of the Interior's Guidelines for Preservation Planning
Introduction These Guidelines link the Standards for Preservation Planning with more specific guidance and technical information. They describe one approach to meeting the Standards for Preservation Planning. Agencies, organizations or individuals proposing to approach planning differently may wish to review their approaches with the National Park Service.
The Guidelines are organized as follows: Managing the Planning Process Developing Historic Contexts Developing Goals for a Historic Context Integrating Individual Historic Contexts—Creating the Preservation Plan Coordinating with Management Frameworks Recommended Sources of Technical Information
Managing the Planning Process
The preservation planning process must include an explicit approach to implementation, a provision for review and revision of all elements, and a mechanism for resolving conflicts within the overall set of preservation goals and between this set of goals and other land use planning goals. It is recommended that the process and its products be described in public documents.
Implementing the Process The planning process is a continuous cycle. To establish and maintain such a process, however, the process must be divided into manageable segments that can be performed, within a defined period, such as a fiscal year or budget cycle. One means of achieving this is to define a period of time during which all the preliminary steps in the planning process will be completed. These preliminary steps would include setting a schedule for subsequent activities.
Review and Revision Planning is a dynamic process. It is expected that the content of the historic contexts described in Standard I and the goals and priorities described in Standard II will be altered based on new information obtained as planning proceeds. The incorporation of this information is essential to improve the content of the plan and to keep it up-to-date and useful. New information must be reviewed regularly and systematically, and the plan revised accordingly.
Public Participation The success of the preservation planning process depends on how well it solicits and integrates the views of various groups. The planning process is directed first toward resolving conflicts in goals for historic preservation, and second toward resolving conflicts between historic preservation goals and other land use planning goals. Public participation is integral to this approach and includes at least the following actions:
1. Involving historians, architectural historians, archeologists, folklorists and persons from related disciplines to define, review and revise the historic contexts, goals and priorities;
2. Involving interested individuals, organizations and communities in the planning area in identifying the kinds of historic properties that may exist and suitable protective measures;
3. Involving prospective users of the preservation plan in defining issues, goals and priorities; 4. Providing for coordination with other planning efforts at local, State, regional and national levels, as appropriate; and
5. Creating mechanisms for identifying and resolving conflicts about historic preservation issues. The development of historic contexts, for example, should be based on the professional input of all disciplines involved in preservation and not be limited to a single discipline. For prehistoric archeology, for example, data from fields such as geology, geomorphology and geography may also be needed. The individuals and organizations to be involved will depend, in part, on those present or interested in the planning area.
Documents Resulting from the Planning Process In most cases, the planning process produces documents that explain how the process works and that discuss the historic contexts and related goals and priorities. While the process can operate in the absence of these documents, planning documents are important because they are the most effective means of communicating the process and its recommendations to others. Planning documents also record decisions about historic properties.
As various parts of the planning process are reviewed and revised to reflect current information, related documents must also be updated. Planning documents should be created in a form that can be easily revised. It is also recommended that the format language and organization of any documents or other materials (visual aids, etc.) containing preservation planning information meet the needs of prospective users.
Developing Historic Contexts
General Approach Available information about historic properties must be divided into manageable units before it can be useful for planning purposes. Major decisions about identifying, evaluating, registering and treating historic properties are most reliably made in the context of other related properties. A historic context is an organizational format that groups information about related historic properties, based on a theme, geographic limits and chronological period. A single historic context describes one or more aspects of the historic development of an area, considering history, architecture, archeology, engineering and culture and identifies the significant patterns that individual historic properties represent, for example, Coal Mining in Northeastern Pennsylvania between 1860 and 1930. A set of historic contexts is a comprehensive summary of all aspects of the history of the area.
The historic context is the cornerstone of the planning process. The goal of preservation planning is to identify, evaluate, register and treat the full range of properties representing each historic context, rather than only one or two types of properties. Identification activities are organized to ensure that research and survey activities include properties representing all aspects of the historic context. Evaluation uses the historic context as the framework within which to apply the criteria for evaluation to specific properties or property types. Decisions about treatment of properties are made with the goal of treating the range of properties in the context. The use of historic contexts in organizing major preservation activities ensures that those activities result in the preservation of the wide variety of properties that represent our history, rather than only a small, biased sample of properties. Historic contexts, as theoretical constructs, are linked to actual historic properties through the concept of property type. Property types permit the development of plans for identification, evaluation and treatment even in the absence of complete knowledge of individual properties. Like the historic context, property types are artificial constructs which may be revised as necessary. Historic contexts can be developed at a variety of scales appropriate for local, State and regional planning. Give the probability of historic contexts overlapping in an area, it is important to coordinate the development and use of contexts at all levels. Generally, the State Historic Preservation Office possesses the most complete body of information about historic properties and, in practice, is in the best position perform this function.
The development of historic contexts generally results in documents that describe the prehistoric processes or patterns that define the context. Each of the contexts selected should be developed to the point of identifying important property types to be useful in later preservation decision-making. The amount of detail included in these summaries will vary depending on the level (local, State, regional, or national) at which the contexts are developed and on their intended uses. For most planning purposes, a synopsis of the written description of the historic context is sufficient.
Creating a Historic Context Generally, historic contexts should not be constructed so broadly as to include all property types under a single historic context or so narrowly as to contain only one property type per historic context. The following procedures should be followed in creating a historic context.
1. Identify the concept, time period and geographical limits for the historic context
Existing information, concepts, theories, models and descriptions should be used as the basis for defining historic contexts. Biases in primary and secondary sources should be identified and accounted for when existing information is used in defining historic contexts. The identification and description of historic contexts should incorporate contributions from all disciplines involved in historic preservation. The chronological period and geographical area of each historic context should be defined after the conceptual basis is established. However, there may be exceptions, especially in defining prehistoric contexts where drainage systems or physiographic regions often are outlined first. The geographical boundaries for historic contexts should not be based upon contemporary political, project or other contemporary boundaries if those boundaries do not coincide with historical boundaries. For example, boundaries for prehistoric contexts will have little relationship to contemporary city, county or State boundaries.
2. Assemble the existing information about the historic context
a. Collecting information: Several kinds of information are needed to construct a preservation plan. Information about the history of the area encompassed by the historic context must be collected, including any information about historic properties that have already been identified. Existing survey or inventory entries are an important source of information about historic properties. Other sources may include literature on prehistory, history, architecture and the environment; social and environmental impact assessments; county and State land use plans; architectural and folklife studies and oral histories; ethnographic research; State historic inventories and registers; technical reports prepared for Section 106 or other assessments of historic properties; and direct consultation with individuals and organized groups.
In addition, organizations and groups that may have important roles in defining historic contexts and values should be identified. In most cases a range of knowledgeable professionals drawn from the preservation, planning and academic communities will be available to assist in defining contexts and in identifying sources of information. In other cases, however, development of historic contexts may occur in areas whose history or prehistory has not been extensively studied. In these situations, broad general historic contexts should be initially identified using available literature and expertise, with the expectation that the contexts will be revised and subdivided in the future as primary source research and field survey are conducted. It is also important to identify such sources of information as existing planning data, which is needed to establish goals for identification, evaluation and treatment, and to identify factors that will affect attainment of those goals.
The same approach for obtaining information is not necessarily desirable for all historic contexts. Information should not be gathered without first considering its relative importance to the historic context, the cost and time involved, and the expertise required to obtain it. In many cases, for example, published sources may be used in writing initial definitions of historic contexts; archival research or field work may be needed for subsequent activities.
b. Assessing information: All information should be reviewed to identify bias in historic perspective, methodological approach, or area of coverage. For example, field surveys for archeological sites may have ignored historic archeological sites, or county land use plans may have emphasized only development goals.
3. Synthesize information
The information collection and analysis results in a written narrative of the historic context. This narrative provides a detailed synthesis of the data that have been collected and analyzed. The narrative covers the history of the area from the chosen perspective and identifies important patterns, events, persons or cultural values. In the process of identifying the important patterns, one should consider:
Trends in area settlement and development, if relevant;
Aesthetic and artistic values embodied in architecture, construction technology or craftsmanship;
Research values or problems relevant to the historic context; social and physical sciences and humanities; and cultural interests of local communities; and
Intangible cultural values of ethnic groups and native American peoples.
4. Define property types
A property type is a grouping of individual properties based on shared physical or associative characteristics. Property types link the ideas incorporated in the theoretical historic context with actual historic properties that illustrate those ideas. Property types defined for each historic context should be directly related to the conceptual basis of the historic context. Property types defined for the historic context "Coal Mining in Northeastern Pennsylvania, 1860-1930" might include coal extraction and processing complexes; railroad and canal transportation systems; commercial districts; mine workers' housing; churches, social clubs and other community facilities reflecting the ethnic origins of workers; and residences and other properties associated with mine owners and other industrialists.
a. Identify property types: The narrative should discuss the kinds of properties expected within the geographical limits of the context and group them into those property types most useful in representing important historic trends.
Generally, property types should be defined after the historic context has been defined. Property types in common usage ("Queen Anne House," "mill buildings" or "stratified sites") should not be adopted without first verifying their relevance to the historic contexts being used.
b. Characterize the locational patterns of property types: Generalizations about where particular types of properties are likely to be found can serve as a guide for identification and treatment. Generalizations about the distribution of archeological properties are frequently used. The distribution of other historic properties often can be estimated based on recognizable historical, environmental or cultural factors that determined their location. Locational patterns of property types should be based upon models that have an explicit theoretical or historical basis and can be tested in the field. The model may be the product of historical research and analysis ("Prior to widespread use of steam power, mills were located on rivers and streams able to produce water power" or "plantation houses in the Mississippi Black Belt were located on sandy clay knolls"), or it may result from sampling techniques. Often the results of statistically valid sample surveys can be used to describe the locational patterns of a representative portion of properties belonging to a particular property type. Other surveys can also provide a basis for suggesting locational patterns if a diversity of historic properties was recorded and a variety of environmental zones was inspected. It is likely that the identification of locational patterns will come from a combination of these sources. Expected or predicted locational patterns of property types should be developed with a provision made for their verification.
c. Characterize the current condition of property types: The expected condition of property types should be evaluated to assist in the development of identification, evaluation and treatment strategies, and to help define physical integrity thresholds for various property types. The following should be assessed for each property type:
1. Inherent characteristics of a property type that either contribute to or detract from its physical preservation. For example, a property type commonly constructed of fragile materials is more likely to be deteriorated than a property type constructed of durable materials; structures whose historic function or design limits the potential for alternative uses (water towers) are less likely to be reused than structures whose design allows a wider variety of other uses (commercial buildings or warehouses).
2. Aspects of the social and natural environment that may affect the preservation or visibility of the property type. For example, community values placed on certain types of properties (churches, historic cemeteries) may result in their maintenance while the need to reuse valuable materials may stimulate the disappearance of properties like abandoned houses and barns.
3. It may be most efficient to estimate the condition of property types based on professional knowledge of existing properties and field test these estimates using a small sample of properties representative of each type.
5. Identify information needs
Filling gaps in information is an important element of the preservation plan designed for each historic context. Statements of the information needed should be as specific as possible, focusing on the information needed, the historic context and property types it applies to, and why the information is needed to perform identification, evaluation, or treatment activities.
Developing Goals for a Historic Context
Developing Goals A goal is a statement of preferred preservation activities, which is generally stated in terms of property types. The purpose of establishing preservation goals is to set forth a "best case" version of how properties in the historic context should be identified, evaluated, registered and treated.
Preservation goals should be oriented toward the greatest possible protection of properties in the historic context and should be based on the principle that properties should be preserved in place if possible, through affirmative treatments like rehabilitation, stabilization or restoration. Generally, goals will be specific to the historic context and will often be phrased in terms of property types. Some of these goals will be related to information needs previously identified for the historic context. Collectively, the goals for a historic context should be a coherent statement of program direction covering all aspects of the context.
For each goal, a statement should be prepared identifying:
1. The goal, including the context and property types to which the goal applies and the geographical area in which they are located;
2. The activities required to achieve the goal;
3. The most appropriate methods or strategies for carrying out the activities;
4. A schedule within which the activities should be completed; and
5. The amount of effort required to accomplish the goal, as well as a way to evaluate progress toward its accomplishment. Setting priorities for goals Once goals have been developed they need to be ranked in importance. Ranking involves examining each goal in light of a number of factors.
1. General social, economic, political and environmental conditions and trends affecting (positively and negatively) the identification, evaluation, registration and treatment of property types in the historic context.
Some property types in the historic context may be more directly threatened by deterioration, land development patterns, contemporary use patterns, or public perceptions of their value, and such property types should be given priority consideration.
2. Major cost or technical considerations affecting the identification, evaluation and treatment of property types in the historic context.
The identification or treatment of some property types may be technically possible but the cost prohibitive; or techniques may not currently be perfected (for example, the identification of submerged sites or objects, or the evaluation of sites containing material for which dating techniques are still being developed).
3. Identification, evaluation, registration and treatment activities previously carried out for property types in the historic context.
If a number of properties representing one aspect of a historic context have been recorded or preserved, treatment of additional members of that property type may receive lower priority than treatment of a property type for which no examples have yet been recorded or preserved. This approach ensures that the focus of recording or preserving all elements of the historic context is retained, rather than limiting activities to preserving properties representing only some aspects of the context.
The result of considering the goals in light of these concerns will be a list of refined goals ranked in order of priority.
Integrating Individual Contexts—Creating the Preservation Plan
When historic contexts overlap geographically, competing goals and priorities must be integrated for effective preservation planning. The ranking of goals for each historic context must be reconciled to ensure that recommendations for one context do not contradict those for another. This important step results in an overall set of priorities for several historic contexts and a list of the activities to be performed to achieve the ranked goals. When applied to a specific geographical area, this is the preservation plan for that area.
It is expected that in many instances historic contexts will overlap geographically. Overlapping contexts are likely to occur in two combinations—those that were defined at the same scale (i.e., textile development in Smithtown 1850-1910 and Civil War in Smithtown 1855-1870) and those defined at different scales (i.e., Civil War in Smithtown and Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley). The contexts may share the same property types, although the shared property types will probably have different levels of importance, or they may group the same properties into different property types, reflecting either a different scale of analysis or a different historical perspective. As previously noted, many of the goals that are formulated for a historic context will focus on the property types defined for that context. Thus it is critical that the integration of goals include the explicit consideration of the potential for shared property type membership by individual properties. For example, when the same property types are used by two contexts, reconciling the goals will require weighing the level of importance assigned to each property type. The degree to which integration of historic contexts must involve reconciling property types may be limited by the coordinated development of historic contexts used at various levels.
Integration with Management Frameworks
Preservation goals and priorities are adapted to land units through integration with other planning concerns. This integration must involve the resolution of conflicts that arise when competing resources occupy the same land base. Successful resolution of these conflicts can often be achieved through judicious combination of inventory, evaluation and treatment activities. Since historic properties are irreplaceable, these activities should be heavily weighted to discourage the destruction of significant properties and to be compatible with the primary land use.
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Recommended Sources of Technical Information
Current Recommendations A Planning Companion: A Guide for State Historic Preservation Planning. Susan L. Henry Renaud, 1983 (draft). Describes an approach to preservation planning that uses fully developed historic contexts as special technical studies necessary to effective planning and decision-making.
Guidelines for Local Surveys: A Basis for Preservation Planning. (formerly National Register Bulletin 24). Anne Derry, H. Ward Jandl, Carol D. Shull, and Jan Thorman; revised by Patricia L. Parker, 1985.
Local Historic Preservation Plans: A Selected Annotated Bibliography. Neil Gagliardi and Stephen Morris, 1993. Provides an overview of the range of local historic preservation plans from across the country, including information on how a number of communities have addressed various issues in their preservation plans.
The National Historic Landmarks Program Theme Study and Preservation Planning. Robert S. Grumet. Technical Brief 10, Archeology & Ethnography Program, National Park Service, 1990, revised 1992.
National Park Service, 1994, Thematic Framework. Use of the National Park Service Thematic Framework need not be limited to the federal level, as the conceptualization it provides can equally inform preservation and interpretation at local, state, and regional levels.
Preparing a Historic Preservation Plan. Bradford J. White and Richard J. Roddewig. Planning Advisory Service Report No. 450, 1994. Describes components that are important in a good preservation plan and explains how several communities have carried out preservation planning activities. Available from the American Planning Association, 122 South Michigan Avenue, Suite 1600, Chicago, Illinois 60603- 6107; (312) 786-6344. Protecting Archeological Sites on Private Lands. Susan L. Henry, with Geoffrey M. Gyrisco, Thomas H. Veech, Stephen A. Morris, Patricia L. Parker, and Jonathan P. Rak. Provides useful information on strategies for protecting archaeological sites in local communities.
Reaching Out, Reaching In: A Guide to Creating Effective Public Participation in State Historic Preservation Planning. Barry R. Lawson, Ellen P. Ryan, and Rebecca Bartlett Hutchison, 1993. Describes an approach for designing public participation programs for State Historic Preservation Office preservation planning, with a mini- case study from the Maryland Historical Trust. May also be applicable in local community preservation planning settings.
Taking Command of Change: A Practical Guide for Applying the Strategic Development Process in State Historic Preservation Offices. Douglas C. Eadie, 1995. Describes a strategic planning approach designed to provide practical guidance to SHPOs in managing growth and change.
Resource Protection Planning Process. State and Plans Grants Division, 1980. Washington, DC. Available from Survey and Planning Branch, Interagency Resources Division, National Park Service, Department of the Interior, Washington, DC 20240.
Outlines a step-by-step approach to implementing the resource protection planning process.
Resources Protection Planning Process Case Studies. Available from Survey and Planning Branch, Interagency Resources Division, National Park Service, Department of the Interior, Washington, DC 20240. Reports prepared by State Historic Preservation Offices and others using the planning process.
Planning Theory. Andreas Faludi, 1980. Oxford: Pergamon Press. Constructs a model of planning using concepts borrowed from general systems theory.
See also Historic Preservation Planning Program
National Register Multiple Property Submission List
State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO) Each SHPO Office has prepared a list of historic context titles, many, if not all, of which may have been developed and might be available. In addition, some SHPO Offices have developed guidelines for preparing historic contexts for their states.
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APPENDIX C
Golden Historic Preservation Plan, Public Meeting 2: Questionnaire
Historic Preservation Plan City of Golden How would you like to learn about and experience Golden’s history? (Please circle all options that interest you)
Children’s activities Informational Materials
Scavenger Hunt Pamphlets Social Media History Day competition Local newspaper column Free days to visit museums or other organizations at no cost Books or scholarly articles
Interpretive signs
Tours Website (new or existing)
GPS-lead recreational bike route
Student-led walking tours Resource Management QR Code walking tour Historic district designation
Events Land Management code changes
Pub Crawl Zoning changes
Marathon Multiple Property listing
Fun runs between sites Survey and inventory of resources
Existing fair or festival Local Historic Register listing
Mural fest National Register of Historic Places listing Historic Preservation Plan City of Golden or the benefit of Golden’s residents and visitors, the F City of Golden Historic Preservation Board is developing a Historic Preservation Plan that will:
Identify important historic themes and stories that reflect Golden’s History and culture Identify ways to improve the interpretation, understanding, and enjoyment of Golden’s stories Identify sites and resources that are part of telling those stories
Please check the five themes you find most interesting!
Agriculture Exploration/Settlement The history of agriculture in Golden, including local The early history of Golden and initial contact farms and ranches between Euro-American and indigenous communities
Archaeology Politics/Government Archaeological resources from the prehistoric and historic The history of politics in the community on the local, periods,relating to the history of indigenous, Euro-Americans, state, and national level and other ethnic groups
Commerce Social History The history of commerce and the places where it occurred The history of social institutions and organizations
Community Planning and Development Transportation The history of planned developments and the growth The history of transportation development and routes of Golden
Industry/Engineering/Invention Education The history of local manufacturing, engineering, industry, and The history of primary, secondary, and tertiary commercial innovation education and the places where it occurred
Entertainment/Recreation/Landscape Architecture/Conservation The history of recreational activities, entertainment, landscape architecture, and environmental conservation Thank you!